Ivory Moon
by SoWhatever
Summary: Ryou, Yugi, and Malik are all brothers that live happily together in their village. In fact, Yugi is engaged to a prince and Ryou has fallen for someone. But when strange tanned men show up at their village one night, what will happen? And will the three be able to survive it? YYxY RxB rated M for many, many reasons (I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Copper Sun)
1. Arrivals

**SW: Alright. Here I am.**

**Malik: I hate this one.**

**SW: It's my favorite book!**

**Malik: I don't like my role in it.**

**Ryou: Why not? I like my role!**

**Malik: That's because you don't-**

**SW: OK! So this is based off one of my many favorites "Copper Sun" (with a few twists and turns, of course)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

A boy with tri-colored hair and amethyst eyes laughed and ran through the woods in his dark purple kimono, looking back to see one of his brothers struggling to make it through the branches behind him.

"Yugi! Get back here!" Yugi just laughed as Ryou called out to him and kept running.

Jogging to a stop when he could no longer hear his younger brother behind him or see his straight white hair through the branches, he looked around to see he had ended near a cherry tree orchard. There was a spitting noise and a cherry pit fell on Yugi's head. Looking up, he smiled when he saw the tan, lean body of his older brother Malik in a dark blue kimono sitting in the branches.

"Hello, Otouto-san. What are you doing here?" Malik swung his body and jumped to land right next to Yugi.

Grinning and holding his hands behind his back, Yugi avoided the question. "I could ask you the same thing."

Malik nodded and stood where Yugi had come out of the forest. "Running from Ryou again, I see." He held up a finger to stop Yugi from talking and with the other hand counted down from five, before sticking out a foot.

"Yugi-kun! You need to come back and-" Ryou walked out of the woods, and tripped right over Malik's waiting foot. Looking up from his hands and knees, Ryou pouted, "That wasn't necessary, Onii-san."

Malik cracked up laughing, bending over and letting his blonde hair fall in front of his lilac eyes. "Sure it was, if just to see your face." Ryou 'humph'ed and stood up, brushing off the white kimono the matched his hair and brought out his brown eyes. "C'mon Yugi, it's time to spin."

Yugi groaned, but started walking back to the village, carrying the handful of cherries he had picked when Malik had tripped Ryou. "But that's a girl job…Why can't we weave the kimonos?"

"Yugi…you know we aren't strong enough to be weavers, we wouldn't be able to work the loom. Plus our village is lucky to have the amount of silkworms that we do. The more people that help, the better." Yugi's younger, but more mature, brother joined him on his left side, breathing heavily and struggling to make his way through the forest.

"But what about musicians? Why can't we be musicians? I don't see a reason we can't be." He knew being a warrior was out of question, that job was for the strongest of men, like Malik.

"Yugi." Brushing back a blonde bang, Yugi looked up to Malik, who was walking on his right. "Enough."

Yugi grumbled but listened. "Yes, Onii-san."

They walked in silence, before Malik smirked. "Guess who I saw coming up the path to the village when I was up in the tree, Yugi?"

Yugi eyes went bright. "Atem!"

Malik laughed and watched as Yugi took off to the village. "That got him going." Glancing over and seeing Ryou struggle to take breaths, Malik asked, concerned, "Are you alright, Ryou?"

"Just…fine, Nii…san." Ryou sighed in relief as the village came into view.

"Ryou!" The boy looked up with a red face that got even redder when he saw who was walking toward him and his brother.

"He-Hello, Akefia-sama." The albino man was dressed in a loose tan kimono, but had taken off the sleeves so they hung at his waist and his chest was bare. He was covered in sweat and holding a wooden staff, tan from exercising all day in the sun. His t-shaped scar gleamed against the setting sun. "How are you today?"

Akefia grunted and jerked his head to Malik. "Shishou's gonna kill you for skippin' practice."

"Shit!" Malik took off, running down the road and up the hill that would lead to the temple.

Akefia snorted, rolled his purple eyes, and turned back to the still red-faced Ryou, "What's wrong with you?"

Ryou shrugged and started walking back to the village, beginning to be able to breathe right again. "Just got out of breath."

Akefia easily caught up with the boy, and started to walk beside him, holding the staff loosely at his side, "Don't you have…" He faltered as he forgot the name of the problem Ryou had, and the boy smiled.

"Asthma?" Ryou provided and watched as the man next to him nodded. "Yes, but it normally isn't much of a problem."

Akefia was just about to say something when Yugi came running up with a man who looked like him, so he settled for a growl instead. The man, with tan skin , crimson eyes, and spiked black hair and blonde bangs, rolled his eyes at Akefia. "Really, I didn't even do anything yet."

"But you might, Atem-_dono_." Atem just rolled his eyes again and wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders, much to the boy's delight.

"You're just jealous that my father engaged me to Yugi and yours refuses to do so with you and Ryou." Ryou blushed and Akefia scowled, "Yeah, right."

Atem shrugged and walked past the two albinos, pulling Yugi along with him, who was waving goodbye to his younger brother. "Whatever. I have news to bring to my father. I'll see you at the dojo tomorrow…so I can kick your butt again." By the time Atem had added that, he was too far gone for Akefia to reply.

Growling and crossing his arms, Akefia continued walking to the village, but after waiting a few moments to make sure there was enough distance between them and Yugi and Atem. Ryou walked next to Akefia and clasped his hands behind his back, turning to face the man next to him while still walking forward. "Don't you want to know what Atem-sama wants to tell Aknamkanon-sempai?"

Akefia shrugged. "Not particularly." There was a moment of silence as both continued walking, and they stopped at the fork in the road, one leading to the temple and dojo, the other to the village center. "Ryou?"  
"Yes, Akefia-sama?"

"Just Akefia." The man crossed his arms and looked down the path he would take, causing his short, cropped white hair to fall over his scarred eye. "I'm not my father, I don't need all those titles."

Ryou blushed, "Oh…al-alright, A-Akefia."

Akefia barked out in laughter. "There, that's an improvement." He paused in thought, before staring at Ryou with an odd look in his eyes. "Would you mind…if I was-erm-engaged to you? That is…if my father arranged it with yours."

Ryou smiled brightly and shook his head. "Not at all, Akefia-san!"

The man nodded and started down the path to the dojo, looking back at Ryou with a smirk. "See you later, Ryou."

Ryou waved goodbye, and making sure Akefia was out of sight and hearing range, squealed loudly and raced off back to town, hoping Yugi would actually show up to the spinning session.

* * *

Yugi skipped lightly beside Atem, his heart happy and content. "So what news is there from Aknadin-sempai's village?"

Smiling at the boy next to him, Atem shrugged and jerked his head to the road that led to his uncle's village. "Ji-san just talked about the bronze-skinned strangers," Atem laughed, "the ones that have a tan not from the sun," he gestured to his own arms, "and about how they were going to pass through our village for trade."

Yugi stopped and smiled brightly, "We're getting guests? That means music!" Atem raised an eyebrow at the energetic attitude the boy had. "I have to go tell Jii-chan!" He turned to run back down the path they had taken, the one that would lead him straight through the village.

"Yugi!" The boy stopped and turned back around. "I know we should wait until the ceremony in a month, but…" Atem took a step forward and pressed his lips to Yugi's.

Yugi's eyes went wide, but he slowly started to respond, tilting his head and leaning into the kiss, making it more passionate. All too soon it ended and Yugi took a step back, looking into Atem's nervous eyes. Blinking past the shock and happiness clouding his brain, he asked, "Atem? Is something wrong? What is there that you aren't telling me?"

He shook his head, "Nothing…just…go tell the villagers to prepare for visitors."

"'Kay!" He took a daring step forward and pressed a short kiss on the man's lips. Turning around and waving behind him, he ran to the village. "Bye, Atem-chan!"

* * *

"Jii-chan! Jii-chan! Jii-chan!" Yugi burst through the door of his house, looking for his grandfather.

"What is it, my boy?" The old man walked out of the kitchen, where he had been giving orders to one of the servants, to greet his grandson.

"Atem says we're going to have visitors!"

"Oh really?" The man walked into the main room of the house and up to what looked like a closet.

"Yeah! So does that mean you'll tell a story?"

Yugi's grandfather nodded his head and opened the door, revealing a small room piled with instruments. Yugi jumped up and down in excitement. "With music?"

"Of course, my boy, what other kind of story is there?" His grandpa started to pull out wooden flutes, lyres, and drums.

Yugi cheered and ran outside. "I'm going to go tell the others!"

But by the time he got to the town center, the rumor had already spread. The women had put away their spools of silk and spinners and were moving to their kitchens, to prepare for the feast that they would eat that night. The small village was a busy blur of preparations, and Yugi grinned as he saw his brothers walk up to him.

"Hey, Nii-san! Did you hear the news?" Malik nodded his head and rubbed his backside.

"Yeah, right after Sensei whopped my ass for missing practice."

Ryou giggled and jumped up and down. "Guess what Yugi-kun!"

Yugi laughed and held Ryou's shoulder to keep him steady. "Don't overexert yourself, what?"

"Akefia-san asked if I'd like to be engaged with him!" Yugi squealed along with Ryou and wrapped him in a hug.

"That's great! Will he ask his father to make it official?"

Ryou gained a dreamy look in his eyes. "I really hope so." He sighed then squealed again. "Oh, it makes me so happy! I mean I'm not even really engaged with him but he showed interest, Yugi-kun! The most I've gotten ever by him!" The two squealed together.

Malik groaned and covered his ears. "Alright already, I get it. You're happy. Can you please stop alerting the dogs of your presence?" The two brothers looked at each other before cracking up laughing.

"I see them!" A sudden shout sent the village into a flurry, and as the sun started to go down, Yugi looked up and saw the large dust cloud in the distance that signaled the visitors' arrival.

* * *

**SW: BTW Akefia was only REALLY respectful to the martial arts master because he respected the knowledge to fight well, in case you were gonna ask. And Ryou kept using honorifics because he's really polite.**

**Bakura: I'm not in it?**

**SW: Well, technically…oh shit…I just realized the role Akefia and Atem have…and what they have to do…AH! That's gonna have to change! Okay, if anyone else has read the book, did I portray it okay? If you haven't, did you think the first chapter was good?**

**Yami: Am I coming in?**

**SW: No spoilers!**

**Malik: *crosses arms* I can't believe you're going to let me-**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

**P.S. If I confused you with all the honorifics (trust me it took me FOREVER) then go to this website it helped me a lot – tvtropes pm /UsefulNotes/Japanese Honorifics?from=Main. Japanese Honorifics (without the spaces of course)**


	2. Visitors

**SW: This chapter isn't going to be fun…**

**Malik: No, it's not!**

**Ryou: *stage whisper* You'd think the reader would get what's going to happen from the times SoWhatever has cut Malik off.**

**Yugi: *stage whisper* I know. Why doesn't she just keep him out of the author's notes?  
SW: I can do that?**

**Malik: Guys!**

**Yugi: *shrugs* We've told you this before, SoWhatever.**

**SW: Oh…**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The tanned men sat in the inner bonfire circle, their horses grazing out in the fields. They were in a large circle with the chief, Aknamkanon, Yugi's grandfather, who was the best storyteller, and the lords that served the chief, including Akefia's father.

"It's so weird. What warmth can they get from those short little skirts?"

"I don't know, but they're lucky it's not winter."

The gossip flew as soon as the visitors arrived, they had ridden in on strange cart-like contraptions that hung off the back of the horses and only held two people. They wore only short knee-length skirts made of cotton. It was soon found out that only one of them spoke their language, and poorly at that.

"How did their skin get so dark? Not even our oldest warriors are that tanned."

"Maybe they are demons. Look at all the weapons they brought."

And it was true. Every man had a spear and two swords, one short and curved, the other long and shining. But they seemed friendly, and they danced and drank and ate along with the men and women in the village.

The fires were lit in a circle around the large one and families and friends sat next to each other in a circle around each, but all eyes were on the biggest. Women danced and weaved through the circles, matching the rhythm of the musicians, who sat off to the side playing their instruments.

Someone cleared their throat, and everyone looked to the center ring, where Lord Senshi stood and bowed to the chief. "Excuse me, but I have an announcement to make." Ryou sat up from his spot next to Yugi, where they had been eating, hoping that this was what he thought it was. "It was has been brought to my attention by my son that he would like to marry. I have brought it up with the man's father, and we have agreed on the terms for an engagement of Ryou-san and Akefia."

There was loud clapping and whistles, and Ryou was pushed up to stand from behind. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled at his new fiancée. Through the haze of joy that had spread over his mind, he heard the chief ask, "Ryou-san, do you agree to this?"

Ryou nodded his head vigorously, and everyone cheered. "Then this is not only a welcome party," the chief gestured to the strange men, "but an engagement party as well!" There was laughing and clapping and the music started up again.

Akefia pulled Ryou out to dance, spinning the boy around until he could no longer see straight. When the song ended he bent Ryou down low, and into a crushing kiss. There were catcalls and wolf whistles, but Yugi didn't think either noticed. Walking a completely dazed Ryou back to his seat next to his older brother, he smirked at Yugi, "Keep him safe, bouzu, he's still out of it."

Ryou blinked, and said softly, "Don't call Nii-san that…"

Yugi laughed and nodded his head, watching as Akefia went back to his station behind the chief next to Malik. "Yugi-kun," The boy looked up to see the dazed look fading from Ryou's face. "he kissed me."

He grinned and put an arm around his younger brother's shoulders. "Yes he did, Ryou."

Turning back to the inner circle, his grin widened when he saw his grandfather stand up. Finally, it was time for Yugi's favorite part.

"Not too long ago, in a land not so far away…"

Atem, an honored musician and fighter, hit the drums softly, to create a mysterious mood. He winked at Yugi and the boy blushed, looking up to the night sky and hoping Atem wouldn't see it. Solomon Mutou swooped his arms, his full voice echoing over the now quiet crowd. "there was a great bronze bell. It rang out clear and strong and rich every morning at sunrise and every night at sunset." Another musician banged a gong, and the flute-players set out a soft melody that Yugi's grandpa spoke over. "However, the priests in the temple would not let any woman strike it, for fear that it would pollute and dull the metal." He paused and looked around, catching the eye of many a woman who was not pure. "But there came a woman who heard of this magnificent bell, and upon pondering, her curiosity made her state:"

The old man paused and the women of the tribe who already knew the story spoke. "I will go to see this wonderful bell. I wish to make a soft note of beautiful sound and on its shining surface, and I will paint and powder my face." The drums and flutes played a sharp tune, creating the mood of danger. Yugi closed his eyes to let the music drift him through the story and on his lap, the boy's fingers followed each of the notes the flutists played.

Solomon Mutou chuckled a little and nodded his head. "And with many attempts and through much effort, this vain woman reached the top of the temple, where the bell hung. She took one look into the gleaming surface and admired her eyes and laughing dimples. Then, before the monks could return, she stretched her fingers out and touched the surface, wishing to have as great a mirror as this one. The bell, upon feeling the woman's selfishness and vanity, shrank, and underneath her fingers the bronze became dulled and hollowed. This dent was something that could not be fixed, and no amount of shining could bring back the gleam where the woman had touched it."

The gong rang out again, but this time ended on a sour note. Grandfather Mutou started to speak the next lines, but it was immediately picked up by everyone in the tribe. "And so it is shown that though greed covets the things that shine, it will tarnish and ruin those items. Do not be selfish, and all the things you own will shine in its own special way."

There was more clapping and cheering, that died down when one of the strange men stood up, still clapping slowly. Everyone else stopped, but his slow beat kept going. When all was quiet but for the whispers of the women and he was the last one clapping, he spoke. "Thank all for great story. But is time to do business now." It was late in the night, past midnight, and many looked around confused as to why the man wished to do trading now.

Aknamkanon nodded his head and started to stand as well, but stopped mid-rise. There was a scream from the crowd watching and the chief looked down to see a spear sticking out of his stomach, and the man holding it was one of the tanned ones, who had struck forward at a signal from the leader.

"Father!" Almost immediately everyone scattered, screaming and looking for a place to hide, but one body pushed forward, not caring about the drum he left behind. The man who struck the chief was immediately taken down by Akefia, a simple swipe decapitating him entirely. "Oto-san!" Yugi whipped his head around, holding Ryou's hand and looking for his soon-to-be husband. Malik tried to fight his way towards his brothers, but every time he got through one man, another showed up to take his place.

"Atem! Atem-chan, where are you?!" Ryou screamed and pulled Yugi away, and a man chased after them holding a sword. Yugi sprinted, easily catching up with Ryou and zooming past him to find somewhere to hide. Suddenly, Ryou was jerked from his grip and Yugi stopped. Turning in circles, he took in the village turned battle ground, but could see his brother nowhere. "Otouto-san! Ryou!"

* * *

Atem shoved past the crowd and fell to his knees by his father. "At-em…" A trickle of blood overflowed from the man's mouth and his body jerked. Steadying his father with a hand on his shoulder, Atem placed another hand on the spear to pull it out, but was stopped. Looking at his father, who had stilled his son with a bloodied but stiff hand, Atem started to feel tears prick in his eyes. "Don't…worry…my son." Shakily, the chief moved his hand from the spear to the crown on his forehead. Taking the ringlet off, he held it out for his son. "You-You…are…chief now."

Just as Atem had reached his hand out, Aknamkanon dropped the crown. The new chief grabbed it before it hit the ground, but by the time he looked back at his father, the man was limp, his blank eyes staring at the stars.

For a moment Atem just gazed, watching the flames flicker light over his father's body. The dull sound of fighting reached his ears, but he didn't react. "Atem! Get your ass moving!" Akefia stepped in front of the man just about to strike down Atem, easily slicing his neck with a sword.

Closing off his heart, Atem stood, making sure to slide father's eyes shut. Placing the winged crown on his head, he gripped the sword that had been attached at his father's side but was now rightfully his, and charged at the strange men that were attacking every living thing in his village.

* * *

Yugi screamed and dodged a spear, running in random directions to try and get away from the fighting. He was scared. He didn't know what to do or where to go. The small boy ended up in an alley, though he wasn't sure how. Looking around through the fighting, he saw no sign of Ryou or Malik, and panic shot through him.

"Yugi!" Just as quickly, relief flooded his system. Malik came running up through the dust and fighting, sword in hand.

"Is Ryou with you?" The two asked the same question at the same time, so the answer was made obvious for both of them.

Taking in the bloodied sleeves of Malik's kimono, Yugi looked and saw villagers, men and women alike, being struck down, their bodies silhouetted by the light of the fires. "What's happening?"  
"I don't know." Malik ran a hand through his hair, tensing up as he watched the scene in front of him. "Look, Yugi, I want you to-" There was a loud yell and Malik twisted his body, turning his sword right into the stomach of the man charging at them. Calmly unsheathing the weapon and letting the man drop, Malik turned back to a wide-eyed Yugi. "wait here until I get back with Ryou. Then I want you two to run."

"What?" Yugi couldn't imagine leaving anyone behind, let alone his older brother.

"Run. Don't wait for me or anyone. Take Ryou and hide in the woods. Understand?"

As Yugi slowly nodded his head, Akefia burst out of the mayhem, dragging along a stunned Ryou, whose face and kimono were splattered with blood.

"Bouzu! Take Ryou and get the hell out of here! Malik, we need you!" Handing off Ryou to Yugi, the hardened man ran after Malik into the fight. The two stood there for a moment before Yugi grabbed Ryou's wrist and pulled, running around the worst spots to get to the woods.

A body fell in front of them, and Yugi sobbed when he recognized it as a villager. Looking up, he saw one of the attackers approaching them. Yugi screamed and let go of Ryou to hold up his arms in defense, but the blow he was prepared for never came.

Ryou yelled and Yugi lowered his arms to see Malik standing over the now dead man. Grabbing a hold on each of his brothers' wrists, he ran. Malik would let go of one of their hands to slice down anyone in their path, but immediately gripped it again to keep them moving. It didn't take long until they reached the edge of the woods. Yugi looked around and saw that women and children were running into the forest, but the tanned ones had caught on and were starting to chase the ones trying to escape despite the efforts of the warriors.

"Come with us, Nii-san! Please, Malik!" Yugi pleaded, looking back to watch the dust fade and saw that the strange men had come out on top. They had started to pick up logs from the fires and throw them on the wooden houses, sending them up in smoke.

Malik looked as well, and seeing the end of the battle, let a single tear fall before nodding his head. Squatting, he motioned to Ryou, who looked as confused as Yugi felt. "C'mon, Ryou. I know you can't run fast. Get on my back."

Ryou nodded his head silently and did just that, and Malik took off, with Yugi right behind him. He heard screams and saw the women and children disappearing beside them and slowly, they were the last ones running in the woods.

"Hey, you!" Swearing under his breath, Malik pumped his legs faster, Yugi following close behind, knowing that they had been spotted. "Get back here!"

Suddenly, there was a fallen tree in the path and Malik went flying, sending Ryou off his back. "Malik!" Yugi and Ryou try to help him get up, but he shook his head.

"Go on. They're right behind us. Leave m-" Suddenly his entire body jerks and he makes a gagging sound. Ryou sobbed and Yugi looked down to see the front of a spear going through the left side of his body.

"No! Malik, no!" Against their protests, Malik became a dead weight, and he fell to the ground and didn't move. "MALIK!"

Ryou knelt, tears flowing freely from his eyes and his entire body shaking. Yugi sobbed out loud, burying his face in his hands. When the tanned ones came, talking in their course language, Yugi and Ryou both put up a fight, but were eventually restrained and led back to their village.

* * *

**SW: Senshi means warrior in Japanese, I liked that for Akefia's last name.**

**Malik: That's all you have to say!? You just killed me and I don't even get a sorry!?**

**SW: Uh…sorry?**

**Malik: Whatever.**

**SW: Okay, for real though, you have no idea how hard it was for me to right the last scene…I didn't think I would get this emotional. I'm tearing up just thinking about what I'm going to have to write.**

**Yugi: **_**GOING TO? **_**As in: there's more? What could possibly happen?**

**SW: Well-**

**Ryou: *covering ears* Lalalalala I don't want to hear it!**

**SW: It will get happier! I promise!**

**Review! If you still don't get the honorifics the link is at the bottom of the last chapter!**


	3. The Start and End of a Journey

**SW: Hello again!**

**Malik: I hate you.**

**SW: AH! I'm sorry!**

**Yugi: This chapter is worse!**

**SW: Please don't hate me!**

**Thank you to Themidnightvampress (Who doesn't love Vlad more than Edward?) and Lazy Gaga (I love your name! It's so quirky!) for reviewing!  
Hope you like…**

* * *

Yugi and Ryou both struggled against the bonds that held their hands behind their backs, but the rope would not yield. They reached the village just as the sun started to rise, and the smoke from the burning houses made the air gray. Ryou tripped when a man from behind him shoved him forward, and that motion brought a body into his view.

A very familiar body.

With a tan kimono covered in blood, two spears jutting out of its chest, and a neck at a crooked angle, there was no doubt that the man on the ground was no longer with the living.

"Akefia! No, please, no!" Ryou's vision blurred and he blinked past the tears to stare at the man he loved. The now film-covered eyes of Akefia stared off to the side, and blood trickled down the side of his mouth. The front of his kimono was completely stained red, and his legs and arms were splayed about his body, not having been moved since he fell.

Ryou jerked against the person holding onto him and ran from the group, not caring that a sword barely missed slicing his head off. He slid down next to Akefia with his hands still tied behind his back and stared, unable to believe that the man was actually dead. His entire body felt empty and numb, except for his heart, which was physically causing him pain. Ryou felt like someone had torn his heart out ripped it into shreds then put it back in, just to watch the shards of its broken pieces tear him up from the inside. He bent over his knees and screamed, before letting himself cry his heart out.

The boy barely noticed when he was yanked up to stand and shoved back into walking next to Yugi. He stared at the ground in front of him, all the fight gone from his body. They joined the small group of other survivors, and Yugi looked around, eyes widening at the bodies he found scattered everywhere.

Tea…Tristan…Mai…Rafael…Anzu…Alister…men and women, all dead. He swallowed thickly and looked around, trying to find one of the people he cared about most.

"Listen!" The leader stepped forward, and Yugi gasped as he caught sight of Atem, struggling and kicking against the three men who held him. The man spoke with his poor knowledge of their language, and it would have been funny if the situation was different. "This your leader, yes?" He gestured to the ring of gold on Atem's forehead. There were a few screams and sobs, but Yugi just stood in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening. The leader nodded his head and Atem was forced down to his knees.

However, as was custom, when a king was kneeling, so must everyone else. So down they went, and even when they ended up threatened with a sword stuck in their face, they kneeled before their king. All except Yugi, who was frozen stiff and stared right into Atem's eyes. "We show example of what happen when you disobey." Yugi screamed when a sword was placed on Atem's neck, but was cuffed on the back of the head. Blinking dazedly, he stared at Atem, who smiled grimly and opened his mouth to speak, sounding regal even with a razor sharp sword at his throat.

"I know that I haven't been able to lead you yet, but know this. You are my people and I will always fight for yo-" Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock and Yugi screamed again. Blood dripped down the front of Atem's neck, and he choked, unable to take a breath. The man holding the bloody sword pushed the young chief forward, and when he collapsed on the ground, he didn't move. Yugi yelled and fought, trying to push past the two men who were roughly holding him back.

Finally, Yugi gave, and ended on his knees with the rest of his sobbing people. His entire body felt broken. He had lost his older brother and his fiancée. There was nothing left for him.

"Y-Yugi-i…" But… "Yu-Yugi wh-what do w-we do-o?" …there was Ryou.

He swallowed the pain and bottled it up inside him. Looking at his younger brother, Yugi shook his head, doing his best to keep his voice even. "I don't know, Ryou." Grabbing a shoulder and pulling Ryou into a hug, Yugi let him cry into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry about-about Akefia."

Ryou's shoulders shook harder and they remained kneeling while everyone else was being forced to stand.

"Women, children, there." He points to a group of ten men, all holding chains.

"Men, there." He pointed to another group.

Ryou and Yugi don't move, but don't fight when they are shoved up and roughly forced into the children and women's group. Their small stature made them seem younger than they really were, and they weren't about to argue.

Their necks were surrounded by large metal necklaces that had a chain running from the front to their hands, which were also bound in shackles. There was another chain running from the back of their neck to the hands of the person behind them, and from their hands to the back of the person in front of them's neck. Their ankles, dressed in shackles as well, were chained together, so every step they took had to be in sync, or they would fall. They were forced out of their shoes, probably because it would cause more pain to walk barefoot.

Their line had five in it, and Yugi stood in front of Ryou, shaking with fear and watching as the bodies of his friends were thrown into the burning houses of his village. There was a boy behind Ryou, but Yugi couldn't see him well enough to tell who it was. Two girls were in front of him, Rebecca, a dancer that Yugi didn't know very well, led the line and was followed by Vivian, a flutist who Yugi remembered fighting with his grandfather for her spot. He jerked when he thought of the old man, and craned his head against the thick neck shackle, in an attempt to try and find him, wincing as the metal dug into his skin.

The young boy sighed in relief when he found him, at the back of one of the men's lines. Yugi looked around as much as the chains would allow, there was no way for him to move his neck without hurting Vivian or Ryou. There were ten lines of five. One of four. Eight were of women and children and the other three were men. They were lined up side by side, and each 'leader' had a chain running from the front of their collars and into the hands of one of the tan men. There was a jolting tug that gagged Yugi, and slowly, accompanied by the clinking of chains, Yugi and Ryou and the rest of their tribe left the only home they had ever known that was slowly burning away to nothing but ash.

As they turned the corner the led away into a dawning world Yugi had never seen, the boy looked sideways to see the village, now bright mix of red and orange, disappear as trees and distance hid it from his view.

* * *

Ryou was tired. That was all he could think about. And hungry. Tired and hungry. They had been walking for who knows how long, Ryou had lost count of the days. The chains hadn't once been removed, each of the lines having to sleep together, eat together, and…'go' together. Speaking of eating, Ryou stomach growled and he held back a groan at the pained rumble his stomach was making. They had been given some bread a few days ago…he thinks…but he couldn't remember the last time they had given him a full meal, scratch that, he doesn't think they ever did. He was also dirty, filthy to be exact. They hadn't been allowed to wash or change and Ryou still had on his white kimono, though it wasn't too white anymore and the tattered rags barely resembled a kimono at all.

Ryou sighed and turned his head a little, not enough to hurt, so he wasn't staring at the back of Yugi's head anymore. The lines had gotten significantly smaller as the traveled on, and Ryou could only imagine what kind of place they were going to if they didn't care how many made it or not. There were now only six of the original eleven, and two were of men, one with all five the other with four. The other four of women and children all had three or four, Ryou's being one with four. Noah, the small boy who had walked behind Ryou, had died in his sleep, they woke up and he didn't.

They left the bodies of the dead on the side of the road to rot, and they have passed other carcasses from what Ryou assumed to be other lines. He shivered and looked to his left, where an old childhood friend walked numbly.

"Joey-san." Ryou whispered and glanced around. Talking wasn't allowed, but the man looked so desolate that Ryou just couldn't _not _try to encourage him.

Joey jerked and looked at Ryou out of the corner of his hazel eyes. He had lost his wife, Mai, and his child, Serenity, as well as his sister Shizuka. There was nothing left for him, yet he kept on living. "Yes?"

"No talking!" A whip crashed in between the two, and Ryou whimpered and jumped, effectively tugging on Yugi's throat.

His older brother gagged and almost stumbled backwards, but Ryou quickly reached his arms out to his shoulders, the only movement he could do without choking Yugi, even though it hurt him, and kept him steady until their beat was correct again.

Joey sighed and looked away, the deadness in his eyes never fading, letting his blonde hair fall over his face. Ryou sucked in a breath, trying to fill the lungs that had refused to take in enough oxygen the entire journey. He couldn't-wouldn't-have an attack here, they would leave him on the side of the road to die like the others they thought were too weak.

The line with Ryou's grandfather had moved forward, coming in between Ryou and Joey, so he was standing next him. "Ryou, my boy. Are you alright?" Ryou nodded his head and took in the haggard form of his grandfather.

"What about you, Jii-chan?" He knew that Yugi could hear the conversation, and let his shoulders drop when he realized that his older brother couldn't turn and join it.

"I'm fine, I think I kno-"

"I said quiet!" The whip crashed down again, and because of the closeness of the lines, hit someone that Ryou's grandfather was walking with. The man screamed and fell, taking the rest of the line with him.

Both Yugi and Ryou winced as their grandfather hit the ground, and their own bruises throbbed as they remembered when the same thing had happened to them. They couldn't stop and make sure that he was okay, the constant tugging of the person in front of them kept them moving.

* * *

Days passed and the amount of survivors became fewer and fewer. Soon, they were down to four lines. Two of them were of the men, each with three. Most had 'disappeared' in the night after fighting back or refusing to walk, which Yugi was considering on doing his feet were so sore. The other two were of women, the children having faded away miles ago, leaving Yugi and Ryou as the only boys in those lines. Vivian had died of starvation, so there was a gaping hole and dragging chains between Rebecca and Yugi. The other still had its original five, all the women in that row were strong and stubborn.

Even though calluses had formed on the bottoms of his feet after a few days of walking, sharp rocks still dug into his skin. And though he couldn't see behind him, he was sure that the dirt that they walked on was mixed with blood. He couldn't think of a time when his feet had hurt this much, and he sighed in relief every night when they were finally allowed to lie down.

The tanned men had grown excited, and Yugi could tell they were getting close to wherever they were going. It gave him a sense of relief and dread. He tuned into the conversation happening next to him. The boy had always been quick on his feet, and it hadn't taken him long to figure out a few words of their language. Like how they kept referring to them as "slaves" and they were going to the "ocean". Yugi had no idea what those words meant, only that they were being repeated a lot, he could only assume they didn't mean anything good.

Ryou stumbled behind him and Yugi could hear the heavy panting that followed. The entire journey hadn't been easy for his younger brother, and Yugi hated that he couldn't help him. He looked over to see Joey, a dead look in his eyes, and his grandfather, walking strongly with his head held high. He then sorely turned his head forward. The chains had dug into his skin, creating weeping gashes that bleed with every movement, but he refused to not check on the people he was walking with. He was sure the ones on his ankles were infected and with every step the jolt of pain that came from the jangling chains nearly made him faint.

He couldn't be sure how good-or bad-Ryou was, they were forced to sleep on their sides due to the chains, so he couldn't even check on him silently in the night.

Suddenly, one of the men gave a loud shout and the pace picked up. Yugi gagged silently as Ryou struggled to match it, but he would not make a sound to make his brother feel bad, they were stuck like this, no use in complaining now. A breeze came over the hill they were walking up, and Yugi caught the sound of birds. Yugi put his head down and struggled to put one foot in front of the other. The edges of his vision were going black and he shivered as he felt a drop of blood slide down his back from his neck. They walked over the hill and Yugi heard Ryou gasp.

Looking up as they started walking down, Yugi let his jaw drop as the only thing in his view was blue.

* * *

**SW: All done!**

**Ryou: I hate you! *sobs into Akefia's shoulder***

**SW: Butbutbutbutbutbut…I'm sorry!**

**Akefia: *glares* You better hope this gets better for Ryou.**

**SW: It does!...Eventually.**

**Yugi: AH! I want it to get better now!**

**Atem: *scowls* You've got four yamis and hikaris against you, plus I can bet that if Malik and Marik showed they'd be against you too. I don't think you're odds are too good.**

**SW: 0.0**

**Yami and Bakura: Do I show up?**

**Review! Please?**

** tvtropes pm /UsefulNotes/Japanese Honorifics?from=Main. Japanese Honorifics (without the spaces of course) (for those still having trouble with honorifics)**


	4. The Jail

**SW: Whee! I'm back!**

**Yami: Get to the part where we come in!**

**SW: I never said you did.**

**Bakura: The summary has the pairings.**

**SW: Oh yeah…**

**Thank you to Lazy Gaga (Glad that you liked it enough to review again!), LAURA (I swear it'll get better…soon. I hope.), and yamistar22 (Same thing I said to LAURA)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Yugi blinked and a town on the edge of the water joined his first sight of the sea. He had heard of it before, but he had never actually seen it. He stared at the roaring waves until they reached the edge of the town, where a large wall surrounded it. From what he could tell the wall went around the entire town, it cut off all view of the ocean and left the inside isolated to the outside world.

They were allowed entrance and the group slowly started to make their way through the town. More tanned men walked around in what Yugi had learned to be called 'shentis', but Yugi caught sight of a few women bustling through town in long linen dresses. Yugi still had to wonder how they survived the winter in that clothing, and thought it was unfortunate that the weather had been so nice for them. The town itself was made up entirely of clay buildings with a few wooden stands where men stood yelling things to those who passed by. He saw a few of his own people trailing behind tanned men with no chains and pleaded with his eyes for help, but they either didn't meet his eyes or looked away when they did.

Yugi was jerked forward and his eyes flicked towards the front of the line, watching as armed men took off the chains around people's bodies and threw them through a door in the wall that surrounded the village. There was no judging how big the room was or what was inside, the area beyond the door was completely black. There were no windows that showed that it was a house, and the wall was completely smooth except for the hole that had a door attached.

Suddenly, one of the village men, Yugi thought his name is Mako, broke away from the group as soon as his chains had been removed. He didn't get far, however, because one of the tanned men raised and notched a bow, calmly releasing it into Mako's back.

The man dropped to the ground and a few of the tanned men clapped the shooter on the back before starting up the process of removing the chains and leading the villagers inside the building again. Ryou let his eyes drift away from the body on the ground and wondered when he had become so used to death that it no longer affected him when someone he knew died. He heard Yugi sniffling and couldn't help but frown, these men took pleasure in weakness, why show it to them?

He focused on breathing in and out as the line moved forward, his entire body hurt, but his lungs hurt the most, and he couldn't stop and rest to get control over them again. Abruptly, Yugi was gone from in front of him and there were men unlocking his ankles and wrists. As soon as the neck bracelet had been removed, Ryou was shoved forward. He tripped in the dimly lit hallway and fell. There wasn't any floor to catch him and suddenly he was falling down stairs, tumbling head over heels until he reached the bottom.

He must have screamed out at some point because a loud voice from the opposite end of wherever he had fallen yelled out, "Quiet! Some people are trying to sleep!"

There was shuffling of bodies and Ryou barely made out Yugi's face in front of him. Yugi pulled him out of the way of the staircase and off to a corner. "Are you alright?" His older brother was whispering, but Ryou could hear him loud and clear.

Ryou turned and watched as more and more people came down the stairs, to fill up the room. He nodded his head and rubbed his sore knees. "Yeah…but I think…my ankles…are infected." The boy hated how wheezy his voice sounded, and he could tell Yugi was looking at him with worry.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Ryou nodded his head, not trusting his voice enough to talk. He was lucky that the journey had been all walking, no matter how long it was, and he didn't want to test his luck by pushing his lungs further until he could breathe right again. Hopefully it would pass. The steady stream of people coming down the stairs finally ended and the door leading to the exit slammed shut, sending those inside into a world of darkness. Ryou was slowly able to breathe again in the stanch air and allowed himself to relax for the moment.

There was more shuffling and a body stopped before them. "Ryou? Yugi? Is that you, my boys?"

"Jii-chan!" The two launched out of their huddle with each other and latched onto their grandfather.

The man grunted and chuckled lightly. "It is good to see you too, my boys, but you must talk quietly, the same rules apply here from our journey."

The two nodded their heads franticly and clung to the older man. "Good." He dropped his voice to a lower whisper and wrapped his arms around his grandchildren. "Now, I want you to listen." Yugi and Ryou leaned into the weary sound of their grandfather's voice. "I won't survive this journey, but-"

"Jii-chan, what are you talking about?" Ryou leaned back to look at his grandfather while Yugi gripped tighter. "Of course you'll survive!" There was a yell from nearby and Ryou quieted down. "We can't lose you, too."

The old man shook his head. "My time has come, I can feel it. But you will survive. You will live and you will learn to be happy again."

"Jii-ch-"

"Hush, Yugi, let me finish." Yugi shut his mouth and nodded his head, never letting go of his grandfather. "I want you to keep these." He handed each of them a sheet of paper, but it was too dark to see the words. "I know that both of you had wanted to become musicians, and these are the two sheets that I was able to keep safe. I hope you two will find some use for them, don't ever lose them, they are your last connection to home." They nodded and slipped the music sheets into the front of their clothing, making sure that the paper laid flat against their chests. Paper was precious and rare where they lived, and they knew not to take the gift for granted. The old man sighed and the two boys could feel his shoulders drop. "It is almost time." Ryou felt tears prick in his eyes, so much for not being affected by death. "Yugi, you've started to learn their language, yes?" The boy nodded his head while his brother stared at him in shock. "Good. Teach all you can to your brother. Look out for each other, you'll be making a long journey across the sea, and you will need your combined strength to make it."

The man relaxed and Ryou felt his breathing slow. "Ji-Jii-chan?" There was no answer. Yugi started to sob and Ryou reached over to pull Yugi into a hug. The two didn't bother to question that Yugi was the older one, they just comforted each other as best they could, ignoring the age difference.

* * *

The door opened at the top of the stairs and sunlight streamed in. Yugi was still asleep, but Ryou took the time to take in his surroundings. Jii-chan was still on the floor, Yugi and Ryou had laid him down with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed. There were at least two hundred people in the basement, some of them from their village, others from different ones. All of them blinked blearily as food was thrown down the stairs.

"Eat up!" Immediately, everyone launched themselves at the dried fruit and stale bread, fighting to get the best of it. While that was happening two men slipped down the stairs and picked up the bodies of those who had died. Though Ryou made a small sound against it, the two didn't stop at their grandfather, and the boy was too weak to fight anymore.

His stomach growled in protest, but Ryou stayed back with a slowly waking up Yugi, not wanting to risk getting hurt for some food. Once the turmoil had settled down and the two men had taken out the last of those who died in the night, everyone backed off, leaving a few trampled pieces of lettuce and a crumbled body. Shivering at the bloody head he would have to approach, Ryou crept forward and grabbed at the limp lettuce before he retreated, handing half of it to Yugi, who nodded his still sleepy head in thanks.

Someone scooted closer and both boys tensed, before they could make out the figure as a friend.

"Joey-san!" Yugi pushed himself up and rubbed the weariness out of his eyes to hug the boy, happy to see him alive.

"Hey guys, look I saw you couldn't get much to eat, so here." He held out a large piece of bread. "I'm full, so it's not like I'm going to eat it anyway."

Not thinking of how rude it would be, Yugi snatched the bread and tore it in half, holding out the other one to Ryou. When he caught the glances that his brother and friend were giving, he smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I'm hungry."

Joey nodded his head and watched as Ryou slowly took his piece and started to chew. "It's okay." His voice dropped to a whisper. "How are you guys dealing? I mean with the deaths of Ak-"

"Just fine." Ryou snapped, not wanting to hear his fiancée's name. "We're handling it just fine."

Joey held up his hands in mock defeat and turned to Yugi. "I'm sorry about Jii-chan."

Yugi swallowed thickly against the tears that welled up. "We'r-We'll be okay." Just then, a small patch of light came from the opposite side of the room, and there was screaming and confusion as three men walked down the second set of stairs Yugi hadn't known was there.

Slowly, they walked through the scared pale people, the leader picking out some that were taken by one of the other two up the stairs as another man came down to replace him. Yugi considered trying to make a sprint for the door, but he knew that Ryou wouldn't make it, and it couldn't be anywhere good if tanned men were coming from it.

Many were sobbing and yelling out as they got separated from their families, and Ryou clung to Yugi like a lifeline. Oh, how he wished Akefia was here, he would know what to do.

"You." Ryou had a mini heart attack when he heard that voice, but relaxed after he realized it wasn't him or Yugi the finger was pointing to.

"No!" Yugi yelled out and Ryou tensed when he saw who was being forced to stand.

"Joey!" Ryou's heart clenched as he let go of Yugi to stare at the back of his childhood friend. "You can't leave too!" He didn't know where Joey was being taken, but he did know it wasn't likely he'd return.

Joey looked over his shoulder as he was shoved up the stairs, no longer fighting. "Sorry, Ryou. Maybe we'll meet up again sometime…Later, Yug'" He disappeared into the sunlight and the door slammed down again.

Ryou tuned and sobbed against Yugi, it seemed like he could never stop crying, no matter what happened, there was always something else just around the corner.

Yugi silently let tears fall down his face, and whispered the song his mother used to sing before their parents died. **(I got this from I DON'T OWN! It's written by Eugene Field)**

_Sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings,—_

_Little blue pigeon with velvet eyes;_

_Sleep to the singing of mother-bird swinging—_

_Swinging the nest where her little one lies._

Eventually, Ryou's crying died down to a whimper, and Yugi's voice got louder, still singing in comforting tones as he let the song flow through him.

_Away out yonder I see a star,—_

_Silvery star with a tinkling song;_

_To the soft dew falling I hear it calling—_

_Calling and tinkling the night along._

The entire basement went quiet and listened to the enchanting boy's beautiful voice. Everyone stopped their own crying and let the music take them away from the place they were in.

_In through the window a moonbeam comes,—_

_Little gold moonbeam with misty wings;_

_All silently creeping, it asks, "Is he sleeping—_

_Sleeping and dreaming while mother sings?"_

Ryou's breathing had evened out, and Yugi allowed himself to take a shaky breath. The basement, others who were comforting as well, picked up the song, lulling everyone else to sleep.

_Up from the sea there floats the sob_

_Of the waves that are breaking upon the shore,_

_As though they were groaning in anguish, and moaning—_

_Bemoaning the ship that shall come no more._

Yugi let his eyes drift shut, and guided his and Ryou's body down to the ground. Releasing a sigh, he let the sweet darkness of sleep take him.

_But sleep, little pigeon, and fold your wings,—_

_Little blue pigeon with mournful eyes;_

_Am I not singing?—see, I am swinging—_

_Swinging the nest where my darling lies._

* * *

The next morning, Ryou awoke to more screaming. After pressing a hand to his kimono to make sure the precious paper was still there, the boy sat up and rubbed away the dried tears that were keeping his eyes shut. Almost immediately after, something gripped his arm and yanked him up.

"Ryou!" Ryou turned to see Yugi still sitting on the floor while he was being shoved to the exit on the opposite end of the room.

"Nii-chan! Yugi! I don't want to go!" He tripped over the first step of the stairs, but was hauled back up, forced to keep climbing.

"No!" Ryou looked over his shoulder one last time to see Yugi kneeling on the floor, sobbing.

Crying tears of his own, Ryou walked up the last step and into the blinding light.

* * *

**SW: 0.0**

**Yugi: We aren't even together now!**

**Ryou: How is this better than before?!  
SW: I said it would get better, I never said when.**

**Yugi/Ryou: I hate you!**

**Um…review?**

**(If there were any honorifics that confused you this chapter [I don't think there were that many to begin with] then the link is at the bottom of the last chapter)**


	5. The Boat

**SW: My next chapter!**

**Yugi: Whatever.**

**SW: C'mon Yugi, don't be like that! It'll get better! I swear!**

**Ryou: Yugi and I are going to give you the silent treatment until we are happy with where this story is going.**

**SW: Really? *no response* Aw, come on!**

**Thank you to Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Don't worry they'll be here soon) and takininja13 (Uh…yeah.) for reviewing!**

**Enjoy reading!**

* * *

Ryou was shoved forward and he fell to his knees, staring blankly at the sand in front of him. There was nothing left for him. Akefia, Malik, and Grandpa were all dead. He didn't have his older brother to lean on anymore. He heard the fence that surrounded the area around him swing open again as another person joined the group stuck inside.

He looked up and saw almost everyone else huddled in the center, relying on each other for safety. His vision became blurry and he looked down again to see the sand beneath him grow wet.

"Ryou!" He didn't look up, but he felt his eyes widen in shock as Yugi's voice sounded in his ears. "Otouto-san!" Yugi slid down in front of him as the door to the fence closed. He smiled sadly and hugged Ryou, happy to see him again.

Ryou didn't respond, still in shock. As Yugi buried his face in his shoulder, Ryou tried to work through the muddle in his brain. "But-I thought-you-how?"

The small smile faded from Yugi's face and he looked away. "I-uh-I volunteered to go. In a place of a little boy they were choosing."

"Yugi!" The older boy looked like he was going to respond, but was cut off by one of the men who were walking around the beach.

"Quiet in there!" Both boys flinched and Ryou wrapped his arms around Yugi, never wanting to let go again. The two looked around at where they had been taken. The small beach was taken up by two pens, one with men and one with women, with a large fire in the middle of them. At the edge of the water, there were three small boats waiting. Letting his eyes drift to the sea, but never taking his arms from Yugi, Ryou saw a huge mass floating on the waves.

"They call them 'ships'." Ryou jerked when he heard the foreign word slip from Yugi's mouth and his eyes widened. "The boats, I mean." Ryou blinked and Yugi kept his eyes on the ground. "Jii-chan said it would be smart to learn their language," he shrugged "so I've been listening."

"Why would you _want _to learn their language?" Ryou could hardly believe his brother. How could someone who had seen their fiancée and brother murdered by these people want to learn more about them?

Yugi looked at Ryou with tears in his eyes, his whispering sounding shaky. "We're stuck like this. I don't know about you, but I'm going to fight. For everyone. I'm not going to let them take my life or my spirit, and if learning their language helps me to stay alive, then I'll do it."

Ryou swallowed and didn't respond, his eyes looking away to see a man walk into their pen and grab someone from the group in the middle, who immediately started fighting back. Yugi gasped as he saw where he was being dragged and turned Ryou to face him. He swallowed harshly as he saw the metal in one of the tanned men's hands and pressed his hands against Ryou's ears.

Ryou searched Yugi's face for a reason, but didn't turn around when he was forced to look at his brother. His brow furrowed when he felt small hands cup his ears, muffling any sound from outside.

Suddenly, he heard a fierce and pained scream through Yugi's hands. His eyes widened as Yugi's overflowed with tears, streaking down his cheek. He wanted to turn and see what was happening, but Yugi prevented him from it. There was a small moment of silence before another scream rang out, this one more feminine. Yugi trembled, his eyes never moving from whatever was happening behind Ryou.

Another man was taken from inside their pen and Ryou started to get scared. His breathing quickened and he took in the smell of something burning. The smoke clogged his lungs, and with it the feeling that something was crushing them. Yugi looked away from whatever he didn't want Ryou to see and gasped as he noticed his little brother on the verge of an asthma attack. He removed his hands from Ryou's ears to place them on his shoulders. "Breathe, Ryou. Breathe"

His breath made wheezing noises and the sound of sizzling and sobbing reached his ears, sounds he hadn't heard before. "What's…happening…Nii-chan?" He couldn't feel his limbs and the edges of his vision were going black, but he needed to know what was going to happen to them.

Yugi shook his head and tried to figure out what he could do to help his brother. The wheezing had gotten worse as the wind brought over more smoke from the fire. "Ryou, don't talk. Just take deep breaths."

"I…can't." Ryou felt like he couldn't breathe and he panicked as his throat contracted further as his body reacted to the smoke in the air.

Yugi swallowed and took a shaky breath, trying to keep his eyes away from the scene happening a few feet away. More and more men and women were being taken and he knew it would soon be their turn. He grabbed Ryou's wrists and held them over his brother's head, knowing that it would help open up his lungs.

Ryou remembered what Yugi was doing and bent his arms, letting them rest at the top of his head so Yugi wouldn't have to hold them anymore. There was more screaming and Ryou was about to turn around and look when Yugi's hands on his shoulders stopped him. "Are you better now?"

Knowing it was just a reason to keep him from looking behind him, Ryou answered the question. "Yes, my chest…doesn't hurt as…much anymore and I…think I'll get my…breath back soon." Yugi nodded and watched as Ryou started to take deeper breaths. He had been scared from that small attack, Ryou hadn't had a real one in years, and he could only imagine what would happen if he got a large one now.

Yugi remembered the paper he had against his chest and, seeing what the tanned men were going to do, tried to think of what to do with it. He took it out, and staring at the black lettering across the page, folded it up. He folded it so that the paper was small enough to keep inside his fist, small enough that no one would notice it. He gestured for Ryou to do the same.

A man walked towards the two boys and Yugi's heart dropped when he realized that they were the last two remaining, all the other men and women had already been taken. The back of Yugi's shirt is gripped and he doesn't fight it when he is yanked up and forced up to walk away. He winced as sand found its way into the open gashes on his ankles and blinked away the tears.

Ryou screamed and, now that nothing was stopping him from it, turned to watch his brother make it over the fire. He didn't care that the sand was rubbing into the open wounds on his ankles and wrists, he scrambled to the edge of the fence as Yugi was stopped and forced to take off his kimono. He held on tightly to his folded music sheet, knowing now why Yugi had asked him to do so.

Yugi stood in his undergarments, and squared his shoulders, he knew his brother was watching. He watched as a large man gripped the metal stick and stuck it into the flames of the fire. Once it was bright orange from the heat, he removed it and walked around the fire to stand behind Yugi. His grip tightened on the small piece of paper in his hand and he braced himself.

Ryou's eyes widened as he saw what they were going to do. 'They're-They're going to-' Ryou's thoughts were cut off as Yugi screamed. The skin on Yugi's right shoulder was sizzling and smoking underneath the scalding hot metal.

Yugi's mind went blank as pain raced through his system. His right shoulder was burning and he sobbed when the metal was finally removed. The man put the shaped rod into a bin of water and someone else slapped a bandage on his shoulder. He cried out again and tears ran down his face, not even realizing he was being led down to the water until his ankles stung when the salt water brushed against it.

He heard Ryou scream out and knew that the same thing was happening to him. His heart went out to his little brother as he was shoved into sitting in the middle of a small boat. Not long afterwards, Ryou joined him shivering and sniffling with a similar bandage on his shoulder, no longer wearing his kimono as well. 'They branded us. Like cows. Like animals.' Ryou closed his eyes against the tears.

The other men sitting in the boat started to row, after they were gruffly told in their language by the tanned ones sitting at each end. There was silence for a few minutes and the large boat in the distance came closer and closer. Ryou and Yugi each slipped their papers into the waistbands of their undergarments, not knowing what would become of them.

Abruptly, one of the men who were rowing let go of his oar and jumped out of the boat, attempting to swim back to shore in the already deep water. Yugi's eyes widened and he watched as the tan men didn't react at all and let the man get away. "I wonder why they aren't doing anything?" Yugi whispered to his brother, but the younger boy just shook his head and didn't open his eyes.

Then, Yugi's thought was answered when the pale man screamed out and the water around him was turned a bright red. Fins appeared on all sides of him and he went under, and didn't come back up. The boy instantly knew how the swimming man had died. 'Sharks.' Yugi shivered at the thought of the large fish he had heard horrible stories about from the fishermen that had visited his village. No wonder the tanned ones hadn't tried to stop him, they knew that he would never reach it to the shore.

Ryou swallowed back the bile in the back of his throat and tried to ignore the stinging pain on his shoulder. They had put on a bandage, that felt like it had some kind of salve on it, but it didn't help much with the pain. He watched as the boat drew nearer and thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't the one that had to be rowing, that he had been able to sit in the middle where you didn't have to.

They reached the larger ship and ropes were thrown over the side that the tanned men caught and attached to the sides of the small boat. They then gestured that everyone was to grab a rope and pull.

Yugi panted as they lifted the boat from the water with them in it, the tanned men sitting back and watching while they worked. The rough rope dug into his hands and it wasn't long until everyone's palms were covered in blood. The rope pooled at the bottom of the boat as they got closer and closer to the edge of the larger one.

Ryou tried to catch his breath as he was forced to pull with everyone else. He felt the anger grow in him as the ones who forced him to do this sat back and watched. He hated the fact that they were being forced to do something while others could rest and laugh as they struggled.

Both boys sighed when they reached the top, they had had the most trouble since they were the youngest of the eight on the boat. They stepped on the ship reluctantly, and Ryou wobbled a bit as the rocking of the waves put him off balance. The women who had been in the pen on the beach had already been chained up and forced to sit on the floor of the ship, now dressed in simple, tan floor-length dresses. There were other women there as well, Yugi could tell that they weren't from where he was from their different skin colors.

There was no sign of the other men, but Yugi didn't have time to think about it as one tan man came over to, from what he overheard, 'inspect' them. He worked his way down the line, and each man he passed was given a knee-length dress called a 'tunic' and chained. They each only had one ankle chained up, and were connected to the person on either side of them.

The inspector reached a bent over old man and poked and prodded at his bones, before slightly shaking his head. The two men called 'sailors' took ahold of one arm each, and against the old man's protests, was thrown overboard.

Ryou looked around out of the corner of his eyes and saw no one fighting against it, most of them had resigned themselves to this life already. He stood stiffly as the man came up to him, expecting what would happen.

The man touched his chest and felt his spine through his back, and examined his head and hair. He felt the small and weak muscles on his legs and frowned, causing Ryou to stiffen even more. He gagged when fingers were shoved into his mouth as the man checked his teeth. The tanned man declared a word, 'sixteen', Ryou saw the logic in learning their language, before he cupped "down there". Ryou squeaked and the men who were watching laughed at the boy's blush, before becoming uninterested and watching the next examination. Ryou relaxed his shoulders a little when no one noticed the precious paper hidden in his clothes.

Ryou tried to calm the blush on his cheeks and watched Yugi out of the corner of his eye. Ignoring the now familiar feeling of a shackle on his ankle, he sighed with relief, though he blushed for Yugi's sake, that the man went through the entire inspection. He had declared him 'seventeen', before Yugi was chained at the ankle as well.

They were both given clothing, and the scratchy linen rubbed against the already peeling bandages on their shoulders. They were handed a rope along with it, and looking at what the others had done with theirs, Ryou tied it around his waist, careful not to jostle the folded paper. The men they came on the smaller boat with started to walk and Ryou and Yugi followed them to one end of the ship.

There was a hole there that seemed to Ryou to lead into the darkest pit of the world. As they walked down, Ryou heard his brother gag against the smell that reached their noses. It reeked of sweat, puke, and feces, among other things.

When they reached the bottom of the staircase they were on, Yugi did his best to adjust to the darkness. It looked like there were rows of what seemed like bunk beds, but had more than two beds to them. Men were piled eight to nine people high and Yugi's eyes widened at the sound of their moaning, there had to be people who were stuck in here for longer than the day that he and his brother had spent in the room in the wall.

Their line of men was led to a stack, and each took a spot, the first being forced to take the bottom and everyone after him climbing up a spot. Yugi was lucky he was last, and that Ryou was one spot below him, because if what he could tell from the spot he was stuck in, they weren't going to be let out anytime soon. He tried not to think about the state of the wood he was lying on, but it was hard with wetness seeping through his new clothes. He forced himself not to cry when the door leading out slammed shut, leaving them in the complete darkness and stifled air. Thinking for a minute, he removed his paper from his underwear and unfolded it, slipping it into the front of his shirt, like he did when he had his kimono, glad that the rope would keep it from falling down. He only hoped Ryou would have the same idea.

* * *

Yugi woke up to the sound of Ryou throwing up, and the enraged yells of those below him. His brother calmed down for a few moments, before starting up again, dry heaving against his empty stomach. There was an annoyed yell from a few rows down as someone was forced to relieve themselves and Yugi wondered when they would be let out of this hellhole.

As if the world wanted to answer Yugi, the door opened, and he squinted against the little light that it brought into the dark he had already resigned himself to. All the men were led out and up, and Yugi gasped as he finally saw just how many were on this ship. There were some who had olive skin and dark hair, those with pale skin like Yugi, and others who had almost black skin, giving them a rough look. They were led away from the hole and stopped at the center of the deck. There was a soft and constant rocking as men moved about the ship carrying ropes and tying others to the deck. A single man walked back and forth in front of them and Yugi never let his eyes move from him, not wanting to be caught off guard.

Ryou looked around, licking his dry lips, and tried to wish away the pounding headache he had. He felt absolutely wretched, and it was only by luck that he hadn't gotten his puke over the front of his tunic, where he had successfully hidden his music sheet. The world was spinning and he felt like the ground beneath was tilting back and forth, sending his stomach into a riot. He silently gasped as he noticed something that sent fear up and down his spine. All he could see was blue, there was no land anywhere, and not a single cloud in the sky. He couldn't see home.

* * *

**SW: Phew! Another chapter finished.**

**Bakura: Ryou says he wants to see me in the story.**

**SW: That's coming. That's coming.**

**Yami: Yugi says he wants to know if anything bad happens next.**

**SW: Well…kinda.**

**Yami: Great.**

**SW: Now, now. No need for the sarcasm. Also, Yami will be the role of Polly in this story, so that means that he won't be a prince or Pharaoh or anything, even though that's what he really is.**

**Yami: Damn.**

**SW: Yeah. Also, Bakura and Ryou aren't even technically in the book, so I'm making up their side of the story when we get there.**

**Bakura: Anything else you wanna tell us?**

**SW: Nop, not that I can think of.**

**Review please!**


	6. Boatride

**SW: Okay, so Yami and Bakura should be coming in about a chapter or two.**

**Bakura: Finally!**

**Yami: What's taking so long?**

**SW: Well, in this story you kind of live in an entirely different country than Yugi and Ryou.**

**Yugi: *crosses arms and glares***

**SW: AH! Say something! You're driving me insane!**

**Yami: Yugi, you know you can't glare…**

**Thanks to Themidnightreaper (Glad you liked it!) for reviewing!**

**Happy reading!**

**(Oh yeah, and any Japanese from now on will be in bold)**

* * *

Ryou had a mini panic attack when he saw that there was no land in sight. He completely missed the first few sentences that the man pacing in front of them was saying in their language.

"…**want you to speak at all in this language, if you speak, it will be in our tongue.**" Ryou swallowed. "**You will be allowed up once a day to exercise, and then you will go back down. No fighting, understand?"**

There were a few nods here and there and the man stopped walking to smirk at them. "Good. Now here is some salt water." Pails of water were placed in front of them, and those who had not understood him bent down to drink it. He laughed as they immediately began spitting and wiping at their tongues. "It's for washing." Ryou slowly kneeled down, he had been one of the few who hadn't drunken any, and dipped his hands into the water, catching a circular sponge that floated in it. He squeezed the water over his arms and hissed when it dripped over his open cuts. He assumed it was good to clean them out, but that didn't make it any less painful. He washed away the dried blood on his hands from the blisters he got from the rope, examining them up close.

"**Let's make this a game**." Yugi whispered next to him, washing alongside Ryou. "**Whoever can talk in **Egyptian **the most**, **wins**." It would make it easier for them to learn.

Ryou nodded his head. "**Ok. But I'm not too-**good-**at-**this." He struggled to fit each new word in the sentence, the language sounding thick and heavy on his tongue. The salt water made him feel a little grimy, but cleaner than before.

"Alright! Everyone stand up!" Yugi did so, and gestured to a confused Ryou to follow. "Jump!"

Yugi felt foolish, but he did it, jumping up and down to get the blood going in his legs. People looked at him weirdly, but once they saw he wasn't being yelled at, followed his example. This continued on for fifteen minutes before the man yelled for a halt.

He nodded his head and the lines were led back down, with the exception of the last two, which included Ryou and Yugi. They were ordered to sit on the deck, facing the women, and then not to move. The lines sat there for hours and Yugi fiddled with the rope on his waist. He could tell there were people in love between the lines, the way some of the boys stared at the girls and the girls at the boys, but he didn't think it would help. 'Love-Love wouldn't-' Yugi blinked past tears and took a deep, calming breath. 'Love can't protect anyone.'

The day passed without a mishap, and soon the sun was going down. Ryou had swallowed down most of his bile and after a few hours of the rocking, he had gotten used to it, no longer feeling sick. Ryou and Yugi had each been listening to passing conversations, picking up new words in their game that was becoming increasingly more competitive.

"**What do you think** they're doing?" Ryou grinned and straightened his shoulders when he finished the sentence, he had used two new words.

Yugi shrugged and glanced at the men standing in the middle of the deck, between the men and women. "**I don't** know. **Maybe** they're **going to tell** us **something**." He smirked when he used one more word than Ryou, almost laughing at the resulting pout.

The group suddenly broke apart, some stalking towards the women, others to the men. The women screamed out and Yugi soon got the point of everything when they were unchained and dragged up by the hair, the chosen women getting pulled away to a corner or a dark room.

"**Yugi**…**what** **are they doing?**" Yugi blushed and shook his head, now fearfully holding on to his brother as he watched men and boys get taken as well.

Yugi felt a sudden wave of warmth and protectiveness wash through him, and he thought he heard the distant laugh of Malik. Then, a short man with pale blue hair and a sneer crept toward the two, eyeing up Yugi. The boy stiffened and looked down, trying to think of what he could do to appear unappealing, when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

He looked up and saw the man stop in his tracks, a scowl replacing the sneer. He said a few words, Yugi could barely understand, and he heard a dark chuckle follow. Looking at the tan hand on his shoulder, he followed it up to the face it belonged to.

Gasping, he took in the face, hair, and eyes that were so much like his brother's but so different at the same time. Hearing his brother mumble Malik's name only confirmed that what he was seeing wasn't a hallucination. The man said something, and from the tone it was supposed to be threatening, and the man with blue hair scampered away.

The one who looked like Malik reached into the waistband of his tan shenti and pulled out a key. Unlocking Yugi and Ryou, he pulled them to their feet, and with a firm grip on both their shoulders, guided them to a small room on the top deck.

Yugi felt tears prick in his eyes and he stared at the floor in front of him as they were shoved into the room. Ryou stumbled and fell onto the bed, waiting there while Yugi spun around to face the man he was sure was going to rape them.

He shut the door and crossed the room, leaning against the wall farthest from the bed, he looked at the two boys. He scowled and rubbed his chin in thought. "Can you speak this language?"

The two boys just stared at him and he sighed. He pointed to himself and sounded out "Ma-rik."

Ryou's eyes brightened a little as he got what the man was trying to do. He pulled on Yugi's wrist to get him to sit next to him on the bed and looked at the man across the room. "Mah-reek." He repeated.

The man felt a small smile on his face and crossed his arms. "Close enough." He pointed to Ryou, question in his wild eyes.

"Ry-ou." He pointed to himself, then to a still apprehensive Yugi. "Yu-gi."

Marik nodded his head and repeated. "Re-you. You-ge."

Ryou giggled as he struggled to say the new words and Yugi cracked a smile. Marik smirked and walked towards the bed, ignoring the now stiffening Yugi to sit on it next to Ryou. He pointed to the bed. "Bed."

Ryou smiled and repeated and Marik moved on to the next word. "Water." He pointed to a small bucket on the bedside table.

"Wah-ter?" Marik nodded his head and grabbed the bucket, the contents sloshing inside. He took a small sip and held it out for the two. "Water."

Ryou's eyes went wide and he took the bucket gently, before swallowing a large mouthful. He passed the bucket to Yugi, who held it in his lap but didn't drink, still watching as Ryou learnt new words from this strange man.

Marik opened a drawer in the small table and pulled out some bread. "Food." He offered it forward.

Yugi's stomach grumbled and the other two occupants looked at Yugi expectantly. Begrudgingly, he reached his hand forward and took the bread. "Fuh-od." He smiled slightly.

* * *

Ryou sighed and turned in his side. He couldn't seem to get to sleep and the moaning of the ship and the prisoners on it didn't help. They had been sailing for around a month and the amount of slaves had decreased significantly. Even so, he knew they were getting close, the tanned men had started to take better care of them, giving out more food and spending nights with them less and less.

The lines that stayed up during the night changed every day, sometimes there were none at all and Ryou realized that that was a 'punishment' for the sailors. But when their line stayed up, Marik had been able to prevent Yugi and Ryou from ever being used, as Ryou had finally understood that was what they were doing, and had given them more lessons on his language. He understood now where they were going, a place called Egypt, and how they were supposed to act. He had to appear dumb and not talk at all, or he would be punished, and he must always do as told, or die. They didn't use honorifics, but he couldn't call anyone by their names, unless they were slaves too. It was sir and ma'am normally, but my lord and my lady when they were upper class. Plus, they had to call their owners master. It got pretty confusing.

The door to the upper deck opened and Ryou and Yugi followed their line up the stairs. The sailors were all scrambling and running about, fixing ropes and tying them down. They were stopped before they were allowed to go down again, and Ryou ducked his head to hide his smile, it meant they would get a night of fresh air and more food.

Marik showed up a little after the sun went down and unchained and led them to his room. They sat for a minute, eating the food Marik gave them in silence, before Yugi spoke up. "Why di-id yo-u do this Mah-reek?"

Marik swallowed his bite and looked at the boy. "Do what?"

"Teeched us."

Ryou shook his head. "Would be teech not teeched."

Marik chuckled a little and shrugged. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try, please."

Marik sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I used to dream about this one kid, I never knew his name, but he kinda looked like me. He had gorgeous, shining, straight blonde hair, and the prettiest lilac eyes, and his skin was a flawless bronze, not too dark, but not pale like yours." Yugi felt his eyes widen as Marik described his older brother. The man closed his eyes and continued talking. "I never really thought about it, but we spoke different languages. Somehow we always understood each other though." He rubbed the back of his crazy blonde hair. "He used to say to come to Japan, so we could meet. And I took the first boat out of Egypt to get here." He scowled. "I didn't know it was a slave ship." He opened his eyes and shook his head. "Then, one day when we docked here, he stopped coming, in my dreams, I mean. I couldn't understand it." He took a shaky breath. "It sounds crazy I know. But when I first saw you two, he was hovering over you guys and he called out to me, saying to protect you."

"Malik!" Ryou had been smiling through the entire story and when Marik finished he yelled out.

Marik smirked. "No, Marik. I'm Marik. I thought you already got that down?"

Ryou shook his head. "No. We know."

Marik blinked. "You know him? He's real?" Ryou nodded. "Malik's his name? Do you know where he is?"

Yugi stared at his knees. "Dead." That had been one of the first words they had learned.

Marik's hopeful look crumpled and his shoulders dropped. "Oh."

Ryou tried to think of the words to explain. "Brother our. And strong and brave. Dead fighting."

Marik nodded as he slowly deciphered what Ryou meant. "He died fighting for you guys?"

Before either could answer, the boat tipped greatly and Yugi and Ryou went tumbling off the bed. Marik stood up abruptly and swore. "You two stay here. I think we just hit the storm we've been watching for. We were trying to avoid going through it, but I don't think we went around it entirely."

The two nodded and clung to the legs of the nailed-in bed as the boat rocked, and Marik ran out of the room, opening the door to reveal pounding rain before slamming it shut again. Ryou shivered as the ship creaked and tipped with the waves and there was screaming from out on the deck.

That got Yugi standing. He walked on rubbery legs to the door, but Ryou's voice stopped him. "Where you going?"

Yugi gripped the door handle and turned to Ryou. "Mah-reek could be in trouble. We need to help."

Ryou gripped the bedpost tighter but nodded and stood up shakily. He walked to Yugi and they opened the door together, stepping out into the wind and rain. And were almost immediately thrown back into the room. The pounding rain and howling wind tore through their thin clothes and blew them back.

Ryou gasped and pushed forward, grabbing Yugi's hand and fighting his way to the main deck. Once they reached it, they split up, looking for one man in the scrambling mess of sailors trying to keep the ship afloat. No one noticed two small pale bodies scrambling and sliding across the wet deck, they thought that all the slaves were already chained back down, men in the lower decks, women to the upper deck.

Ryou gripped a barrel and stood up straight, trying to see the pale hair that had become so familiar. Then, he heard a loud creaking noise and his eyes widened as he saw a thick rod of wood shake around the main mast. Seeing where it would head if it broke, he screamed and tried to fight forward through the mass of people trying to keep the sail from moving any farther. "**Yugi! Get out of the way!**" That got people's attention. Hearing the foreign words, three men around Ryou grabbed him and dragged him towards the hole. He fought and tried to reach out to his brother, who hadn't heard him. "Yugi!"

Suddenly, the ropes snapped and Ryou watched with horror as the sail-less sail swing. Yugi turned around and looked at the large brown mass that was coming quickly towards him. He turned and started to run, but slid across the deck and he knew he wasn't going to make it.

"No!" Yugi jerked at the familiar voice and he was hit with a body just as the thick rod swung around where he had just been standing. Eyes widening at what he had realized just happened, he ran to the railing of the ship, where the man who saved him had been flung over.

"Mah-reek!" Yugi searched the waves, but there was no sign of the protective blonde. "Where you?! You out there?! Mah-reek! Marik!"

Strong hands grasped his arms and he didn't fight it as he was shoved down the hole and chained up again in his spot. "Yugi?" Ryou's small voice drifted up as the rocking of the ship calmed down. "What happened? You find him? Mah-reek okay?" He could hear the shaking in Ryou's voice and he didn't know what to say.

Tears streamed down his face, the only friend they had made, dead. "I found him. But Marik not okay. Dead protecting me." There was a small gasp below him, then the sound of sobbing, and Yugi curled up into a ball, crying out the pain in his chest.

* * *

He was numb walking up the stairs to the deck the next morning, and Yugi absently took in all the damage the storm had done. The women were shivering and crying from their spot chained to the deck, and the mast looked like it had been fixed. The sailors were all down-cast, and judging by the two white linen covered lumps in the middle of the deck, Marik's wasn't the only death.

Then, there was a loud shout and exercising the slaves was forgotten as every sailor rushed to the nearest railing and leaned over the edge to look forward.

Yugi wondered what was happening as the tanned men started cheering and clapping each other on the shoulders. Then it hit him.

"Land! Egypt! Men, we are home!" The man Yugi knew was the captain stepped onto the upper deck and fisted the air above his head, gaining more cheering.

Ryou reached out and grabbed Yugi's hand, they had reached Egypt, and now they had to be prepared to be separated, like Marik said. Yugi felt one last tear streak down his face.

* * *

**SW: Oh, wow.**

**Malik: Marik's dead too!**

**SW: I didn't even mean for him to be in this story. He just sort of…popped up. And then I got all sentimental and shit with you guys meeting in dreams.**

**Yami: Am I in the next chapter?  
SW: Yeah, I think so.**

**Ryou: Are we gonna be separated?**

**SW: AH! You talked to me! Yes!**

**Ryou: *crosses arms and pouts* I can't hold grudges very well.**

**Yami: Yugi is still mad at you.**

…**Review! (And I'm sorry I had to write them speaking with bad grammar, trust me it was a pain in the butt, but they couldn't have just been poof! now you know a language!)**


	7. For Sale

**SW: AH! I started this chapter and was halfway through but I forgot to save!**

**Marik: HAHAHA!**

**SW: Shut up. I have to rewrite everything I already had down, and you know it isn't going to turn out the same.**

**Thank you to laura (I'm sorry! I think only one more person dies and not for a few chapters!), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Yeah, they're together now, at least!), ak (I don't know whether that's an insult or a compliment, either way thanks!), and Themidnightvampress (I don't think I would be that mean…) for reviewing!**

**Well…enjoy reading my next chapter!**

* * *

Yugi stood off to the side of the platform, a large, muscular man being displayed on it. They had been led off to the ship and sold to a man, who brought them into a clay building. In it, they had been forced to change into shentis, and Ryou and Yugi had narrowly avoided getting their papers taken away. The storm had gotten them wet and some of the words had run across the paper, but Yugi had already memorized them, and he reached a hand to his hip, where it was hidden. Their hands had been chained together, but their ankles were free to walk.

The sale, Yugi hated to admit it but that was what was happening, finished and Yugi was led onto the selling platform. Ryou's and his joined hands slowly fell apart as he stood up on the wooden block that was to give buyers a better look.

As the man leading the sales read off Yugi's information, Ryou searched the crowd for those still buying. There were three men sizing Yugi up, and Ryou wanted none of them to buy his brother. One was old man with graying brown hair, he had thick down-turned eyebrows and a thick mustache. He scrutinized over Yugi as if he was part of a business that needed improving. Another was a giggling man with shining silver hair that constantly covered one eye, the other Ryou could see was a deep brown. Ryou thought the man looked a little crazy, and wouldn't want Yugi to have to deal with that. The last was the worst of them all. He was buff and intimidating, with kohl running from above each his eyebrows to down below each eye and spiked blue hair that was held down with a blue cap. This man was sneering at everyone near him and kept raising the price with each bet.

Yugi stood strong, acting as if the hands he held in front of him weren't bound. He looked over the heads of the buyers, but his body quivered. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was scared. Terrified. He had no idea what would happen after this and he knew it wasn't likely he would have Ryou with him.

"Sold! To Maximillion Pegasus!" Ryou jerked as Yugi was taken off the stage and walked over to the man with silver hair, who grinned and wrapped an arm around Yugi and guided him away from the crowd to a group of camels.

"Hey! No fair! I bid higher than him!" The man with kohl pushed forward as Ryou was put on the stage.

The barter stopped calling out numbers to glare at the man making a ruckus. "I'm sorry, Panik, but your bid came too late."

"It did not!" The barter nodded his head to two men standing at the corner holding spears and they came to carry the struggling man away. "I want my slave! I won that bid! I demand it!"

The barter smiled in apology to the waiting crowd and resumed calling out information. There were whispers going through the crowd, and from what Ryou could tell, they were about his hair. He tried to stand tall like his brother had, but he could feel his self-confidence crumbling. Ryou ducked his head and hunched his shoulders, trying to hide from the people's open stares.

"Sold! To Gozaburo Kaiba!" Ryou could tell the name was different from Yugi's and he felt tears in his eyes. His new owner grasped his wrist and dragged him away from the crowd. Scowling and squinting under his thick eyebrows, he led Ryou to a set of camels. He lifted Ryou onto it and unlocked his chained wrists to tie them to the front of the saddle he was on. Gozaburo Kaiba handed the reins to a small boy who mounted a camel next to him. The man who just bought him got onto a horse and set off, leading the way through town.

* * *

Yami shifted on his camel and looked over the marketplace, bored. Pegasus had walked off and left his newly bought indentured servant alone. Not the smartest of moves, but maybe he knew Yami wouldn't run. He would give anything to get rid of the slip of papyrus that made him like a slave for the next seven years. He loathed that his parents had gotten so far into debt that it had been passed on to their only son, who had had to carry it since he was little. That meant he would have to be handed off from rich snob to rich snob until he worked off his debt, and he had finally worked enough to remove everything but seven years.  
Yami could see the tall form of Pegasus making his way back over and Yami slipped the papyrus that declared him indentured back into the small pouch at his hip. Not many commoners could read, and Yami prided himself at being able to. He figured that as soon as he rid himself of his parent's debt he'd be able to work as a scribe, maybe even in the palace.

The boy waiting on the camel snapped out of his daydream to watch as Pegasus came closer, his arm draped around the most beautiful person Yami had ever seen. Normally the porcelain skin of the pale slaves threw him off, but on this creature it fit perfectly. Their hair styles were similar, but instead of a streak of blonde going up his hair, a forelock bounced on his forehead. And he had the most precious amethyst eyes, Yami couldn't look away, not even when the frightened gaze met his and Pegasus moved his attention from the new slave to him.

"Ah! Yami-boy!" Yami scowled at the nickname, tearing his eyes away from the boy, who ducked his head to look at the hands chained in front of him. "So glad you decided to stay awhile! Do you like my gift for my son? I'm sure he'll love it! It doesn't seem to know this language, so I'm leaving it up to you to teach it."

Was the slave impaired? "Yes, Master Pegasus." Yami gritted out the last part through his teeth, he hated admitting that anyone was his master.

The slave was helped onto the back of Yami's camel, and he had to smile when he immediately gripped the back of his shirt, he had no doubt the small arms chained together would have wrapped around him if they could've, and stared fearfully at the ground. Yami could tell he almost slipped off the back of the small lump and scooted forward a smidge to give the slave more room on the camel. Pegasus stepped into his litter and gave signal for the men on each corner to lift.

They walked off, heading back to the house that Yami had been working at for a week, and would be working at for another seven years.

* * *

Ryou had officially given up on making friends. He stared at the back of his master's shirt, watching as it jerked from left to right with the horse. The boy holding his camel hadn't even tried to respond when he whispered, in his language and in Egyptian. He drifted back to a time when he was happy, when he had friends and family he could talk to.

He was so lost in his daydreams that he didn't notice the caravan that had pulled up beside theirs.

"**Ryou!**" An intense whisper to his left pulled him back, and he was surprised to find tears in his eyes. "**Over here!**" Ryou turned his head slowly, not wanting the boy holding his reins to yell at him, and looked at his brother.

Blinking at the smiling face whose body was gripping onto the back of a shirt of a man who was looking back and forth between the two, Ryou felt a smile of his break out. "**Yugi?**"

Happy that they could talk in Japanese, Yugi nodded his head, his eyes flicking to the litter in front of him before back to Ryou. "**Hello, Otouto-san. Are you okay?**"

Ryou nodded his head and wiped at tears. "**I-I'm going to miss you, Nii-san.**"

Yugi licked his dry lips and nodded his head. "**I'll miss you, too. It looks like they're friends.**" He jutted out his chin to the two men that owned them, who were now talking. "**Maybe we'll see each other?**"

Ryou smiled wistfully at his brother, knowing he was grasping at straws. He looked to the man who Yugi had yet to let go of. "Take care of brother?" He struggled to switch from Japanese to Egyptian and Ryou could tell it didn't come out right by the way the boy had furrowed his brow in confusion.

There was a pause before he nodded his head. "Of course." He had no idea why he would promise something like that, but the albino looked so earnest he couldn't say no.

The camel holding that was holding the albino came to a stop, Lord Gozaburo lived one house ahead of Master Pegasus. The boy Yami was supposed to take care of twisted in the saddle, turning around but not letting go. He shouted out something like 'mah-tah neigh, o-toe-toe-san' and he didn't get to hear a reply because Pegasus immediately halted his litter, pulling up beside the camel to flick the boy with a fly swatter. "There will be none of that, slave. You will not speak in that savage tongue, understand?"

The slave just stared at Pegasus and Yami had to wonder if the boy really was impaired, if he couldn't understand something simple like that.

* * *

Yugi swallowed thickly as they walked farther and farther away from his brother. It wasn't enough that he had to sit behind someone who looked so much like Atemu that it hurt, no, the fates had to make sure that Ryou was put in the mix as well, saying goodbye to him was the hardest thing Yugi had ever done.

The caravan stopped and the boy that looked like Atemu gracefully slid off the humped back of the camel that Yugi was on. As soon as the body that was keeping him balanced was gone, Yugi wobbled, not used to riding on something as rounded as this. He slipped backwards and fell off the back of the camel, landing with a grunt and a whimper in pain. Almost immediately red eyes that had flicks of purple in them appeared in front of Yugi. If it wasn't for the purple and paler skin, Yugi would've thought it was his betrothed. But it wasn't, and Yugi needed to face that.

He didn't realize he had been asked something and the boy shook his head in annoyance and lifted the boy up, carrying him inside. All the better, if he is supposed to act stupid it would be better to appear like he can't understand anything.

As he was carried into the house where he would be enslaved, he stared at the man who was holding him. He was surprised that the man wasn't chained like he was. Sure he was darker than Yugi, but compared to the other Egyptians, he was pale and didn't they think that was bad? He was set down on the ground and the man asked him if he was okay.

Yugi just stared at him, wondering if he should answer. The man threw up his hands in exasperation and walked into a room, pulling Yugi along by the wrist. Yugi took in the hot room that held a bustling girl who was flitting in between an open fire with a pot above it, and a stove.

"Mana! We got a new one, and he doesn't know a word!" Yami might have been new, but he had made quick work of making a friend with the cook, and already they were as tight as a knot. He plopped down on a chair that was at the island in the middle of the room, moving dried vegetables out of the way to place his head in his hands.

The girl turned and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, really?" She might be annoyed that she was being distracted from making dinner, but new gossip was always good. "Where is he?" Yami pointed to the doorframe, where a wide-eyed Yugi still stood.

"Ah! You're adorable!" Mana jumped forward and squeezed the surprised boy tightly. "You are just so cute! Do you have a name?" Mana pulled a skeleton key she always kept in her pocket and unlocked the chains that were on the boy's wrist, rubbing them to get the blood flowing again.

"Yu-Yugi…" Yami jerked at the melodic voice, he really could understand then. The boy was staring in surprise at his wrists, as if he had expected to work in them.

"Oh, that fits you perfectly! I know a dapple of Japanese, that means game, doesn't it? How cute! See, Yami? He knows Egyptian." The boy blushed and looked around the room.

"Where are I?" Mana winced a little as the boy spoke again.

"Okay, so his grammar could use a little work, but it's better than what you originally thought, right Yami?"

"I guess." That was when Pegasus decided to walk in, and both Yami and Mana bowed, Mana pulling Yugi down with her.

"Hello, Master Pegasus!" Mana stood up after a respectful amount of time and smiled brightly. "What brings you to the kitchens today?"

Pegasus looked around the room with an air of dissent. "I wanted to remind you that my son is returning today, and I want something special for dinner."

Mana nodded her head. "Of course I haven't forgotten about Master Dartz." She gestured to the pot above the fire. "I'm already preparing his favorite."

"Very well, and the new slave, when it is not required by my son, it will work in the kitchen with you, understand?" Mana nodded. "Good, Yami-boy, I hope that you are successful in teaching the savage to speak this language." With that he turned and left the room.

Both Yami and Mana sighed, and Mana turned to the confused Yugi. "That was Master Pegasus." She gained a compassionate look. "Apparently he bought you to be used by his son, I'm so sorry."

Yugi tilted his head and blinked those sparkling amethyst eyes, and Yami had to keep from cooing at the cuteness. "What 'use' mean?" The broken Egyptian sounded rough coming out of the boy's mouth, and Yami wished that the he could hear him speak in the savage language, even if it was forbidden, just to hear the melody and rise and fall of the beautiful voice. He couldn't help but remember the shot of jealousy that had gone through him when Yugi had talked to the albino so tenderly.

Mana bit her lip and didn't answer. "You'll find out eventually." Mana smiled. "Until then, you'll be helping me and Yami in the kitchen!"

Yugi nodded, at least he wouldn't be forced into the fields. Mana turned and skipped to the pot and Yami patted the stool next to him, and Yugi sat, figuring out that there wasn't much Mana couldn't handle by herself.

* * *

Ryou followed Gozaburo Kaiba through the house, staring with wide eyes at the stone walls and structure. The albino noticed guards everywhere, and he knew there was no chance of escape even if he got alone.

The man stopped in front of a large door and opened, gesturing for the slave to go in. Ryou obeyed and stopped short at the mess that met his eyes. He couldn't see a clean spot in the room, and the blinds were closed tight, making the messy room feel dark and dank.

"You will clean this room and then wait for my adopted son to return. He should be back anytime now, you will serve him and make sure he obeys me, understand?"

Ryou nodded his head, scared of what would happen if he didn't, and never took his eyes off the mess he would have to clean. His arm was gripped and his body was whipped around to stare into blazing eyes. "You will look at me when you answer, and you will address me as Lord Kaiba, understand?" The silent threat was obvious.

"Yes-Yes, Lord Kaiba." Ryou was roughly let go of and he wind-milled his arms to keep from falling onto the floor.

"Good." With that he stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Stuck in the dark room, Ryou picked his way through the mess to one of the windows that was on either side of the bed. Throwing open the curtains to sun, he thought he heard a small squeak. Turning around to see the tail of something disappear into an adjoining room, Ryou sighed. This was going to take a while.

* * *

**SW: Would you believe me if I told you I finished this an hour ago?  
Yugi: Yes.**

**SW: You aren't mad anymore!  
Yugi: I still kinda am, but I met Yami, so it's a little better.**

**SW: Okay I might not be able to update this Wednesday, due to finals but we'll see. Just be prepared for no update if I can't. Also, what Yugi had said to Ryou was "Mata ne, Otouto-san." – See you again, little brother.**

**REVIEW! (Pretty please?)**


	8. Developments

**SW: I apologize for not being able to update last Wednesday!  
Malik: Maybe you shouldn't have gotten so behind in your classes…**

**SW: I passed didn't I?**

**Ryou: Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can ignore everything til the last minute.**

**Joey: Sure it does!**

**SW: See? Joey agrees with me!  
Seto: That's because Puppy is procrastinator, too.**

**Joey: I don't know what a procrasti-whatever is, but don't call me that!**

***arguing starts in background as I thank my lovely reviewers**

**A big thank you to snow-kim (Sorry that won't happen for a while), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (I think you'll like the little twist I put in), samaurai (Sad thing is this is based off a true story), and RowenaBasizaki (Um…Plot? And thank you! **** I'm glad you like it!)!**

**To those who forgot because I didn't go too into detail with it, I killed off Noah Kaiba (he was the boy who walked behind Ryou) so I made someone else Gozaburo's real son.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

Ryou huffed and slid out from under the bed, dragging a pile of dirty clothes with him. He added them to the mound he had placed next to the door, he had decided to do all the laundry in one trip.

The noon sun that had first streamed through the windows when Ryou opened the curtains had turned to a deep red, and Ryou was beginning to have trouble seeing, even with the sunset providing light through the west-facing windows. He rummaged through a bureau beside the bed and found a small candle and a match. Striking the match against the stone wall, he placed the lit candle on top of the drawer and placed his hands on his hips to assess his progress.

The bed had been stripped but Ryou hadn't been able to get new sheets, the guards outside the door not responding to his broken Egyptian. He had scared two rats out of a closet and out the window, though he had a small bite on his right hand to prove it. The room itself was amazing, with stone walls and marble floors, and the closet was filled with what Ryou assumed were regal clothes, though they looked like a bunch of skirts to him. The bed was large and looked big enough to hold ten people, it took up most of the main room. There were two side rooms, one completely bare except for a straw cot, which Ryou assumed was his room, and the other the large closet Ryou had chased the rats out of. He had already placed his music sheet under the small mattress, making sure no edges of the paper could be seen.

Nodding his head, Ryou timidly poked his head out the door. Seeing a guard passing by, he was just about to ask where he could get laundry done when he heard loud yelling and swearing. Squeaking and quickly closing the door as he realized the loud voice was coming towards him, Ryou fled into the room with the cot.

"I demand you release me!" A loud voice entered the room, and Ryou curled up in a ball on the straw bed. "Let me the fuck go!"

"As you wish, Lord Bakura." There was a grunt, then the sound someone being thrown on the bed, which was quickly followed by the slamming of the door.

"Damn it!" There was a thud as if the new man had hit something, sounded like the wall. "Shit!" There was a silent pause and Ryou silently crept forward to listen through the door. "What the hell happened to my room?"

Ryou eyes widened and he gasped, clamping a hand over his mouth. Was he not supposed to clean it? Lord Kaiba had ordered him to, but if the owner of the room didn't want his room cleaned, who should he listen to?

"Who's there?" Footsteps walked towards the door Ryou was hiding behind and Ryou scrambled backwards to a standing position as it was ripped open. "Who the hell are you?"

Ryou blinked at the man's appearance before bowing low at the waist, blinking past the tears and staring at the floor in front of him, knowing it was against the rules to talk without permission. The man looked so much like Akefia. The same shade of hair and the same fierce eyes, though they were a different shade. The only other differences were the missing scar and the slightly paler skin.

Footsteps approached him and Ryou had to fight against his instincts to flee. A hand gripped his chin and pulled him up so his face was right in front of the new man, though he kept his eyes averted. "I give you permission to speak, now answer me. Who are you?"

Ryou gulped and licked his lips before speaking. "New slave. Father bought. Master…Bakura."

Bakura grunted and stepped back to circle around Ryou. "Strange how you look like me. Why the hell would he get me a slave?"

Ryou ducked his head as soon as there wasn't a hand keeping it raised. "Don't know, Master Bakura."

Bakura blinked as if he hadn't realized he had spoken aloud and snorted. "Whatever. Why did you clean my room?"

"Sorry, Master Bakura." Ryou quivered, thinking he would get punished. "Ordered by father."

"Stop your shaking. I'm not going to hurt you." If Ryou thought Bakura's voice had softened, he quickly corrected himself when Bakura kept talking in a cold voice. "Can you not speak Egyptian? You sound like a two-year-old."

Ryou winced and shook his head. "Well, that's going to have to change. Just…I don't know, stay here I guess."

"Yes, Master Bakura." The man faulted for minute as he started to walk of the room before he nodded his head and left.

Ryou let his shoulders drop and let a shaky breath out as he sat on the cot. At least Bakura didn't seem too bad…though it was difficult to look at him.

"Fuck!" There was swearing and Ryou pocked his head out the door to see Bakura struggling to put a bandage on his scraped knuckles.

Smiling lightly, Ryou slowly walked forward and knelt before Bakura, keeping his head bent but extending his hands in offer to help. Bakura stared in shock before placing his injured hand in Ryou's. "Erm…thanks."

"Yes, Master Bakura." Ryou undid the poorly wrapped bandage and made a small 'tsk' noise at seeing the scratches there. He noticed a bowl of water with strips of linen next to it and dipped one in to clean the wound. "How, Master?"

Bakura used to his other hand to scratch the back of his head and hid a wince as Ryou dabbed his knuckles. "I…punched the wall."

Ryou giggled and Bakura gave a small smirk. "Angry, Master?"

Bakura scowled and Ryou paused, sensing the change in attitude even though he kept his eyes on Bakura's hand. Bowing a little, he quickly apologized. "Sorry, Master. Don't want to be rude."

The man watched as Ryou slowly resumed wrapping the knuckles. "No…it's okay." Why the hell was he being so nice? Ryou finished and patted it before bowing again and standing up to leave. Bakura opened his mouth to explain more about his father, but shut it promptly, wondering why he would want to be so open with a new slave that he would soon be getting rid of.

Ryou walked back into his room and laid down on the cot, curling himself into a ball and thinking to himself. Why had he helped his new master? It could have gotten him punished. He wondered what would've caused him to want to punch a wall, though. It looked like it hurt. The candle in the room over was blown out and the small amount of light that had made it into his room faded. Using his hands as a pillow, Ryou sighed and let his eyes drift close.

* * *

Yugi laughed as Yami attempted to pull off a pout. "It wasn't that funny, Yugi."

It had been a week since Yugi had been bought and his Egyptian had improved greatly. "It was hilarious!"

Mana giggled from her position in front of a steaming pot. "You have to admit that, Yami, you usually so composed."

Yami crossed his arms and glared at the island he and Yugi were sitting at. "It wasn't my fault I didn't see the tree root. It was in my way."

Yugi covered his mouth and his eyes sparkled. "So you had to trip over it?"

Yami huffed and rolled his eyes as Yugi and Mana dissolved into laughter again. Things had been calm and Yugi had luckily not been called on by Dartz yet. In fact, he hadn't even met his master yet, and hadn't seen much of Pegasus.

Mana sighed and wiped a tear from her eye, still grinning like hyena. "I think I've got everything under control here for dinner, why don't you two go to your room?"

Since Pegasus owned so many slaves, everyone had had to double on rooming, and Yugi and Yami had been put together, allowing them to become even closer. Yugi cheered and jumped from his stool to run out of the room, Yami waving bye to Mana and following at a slightly slower pace.

Yugi reached his room and slipped his hand under his cot, making sure his paper was still there, as had become his habit. He pulled his hand out before Yami walked in and smiled brightly as the man joined him, sitting on the opposite side of the room on his cot.

Yami blinked and smiled lightly back. "What's got you all excited?"

Yugi shrugged and fell back on his bed. "Don't know."

There was a knock at the door before another slave walked into the room and bowed a little. "Master Dartz has requested the presence of his slave."

Yugi paled and the smile faded from his face. He looked at Yami with wide eyes, but the man was staring at his clenched fists, frowning as he tried to say something.

'Tell me to stay. Tell me not to listen, Yami. Please.' Yugi didn't know why he wanted it, but he wished with all his heart that Yami would say not to go.

"You-You better get going, Yugi." Yami clenched his jaw and didn't look up. Tears pricked in Yugi's eyes and he jerkily nodded his head. He stood up on wobbly feet, and followed the slave who had come to get him out the door.

Yami swore under his breath and stood, walking to the door. He stretched his arm out as if to open the door and follow Yugi, but he stopped. "Shit!" Yami punched the door, knowing it would be no use to go after the slave he had fallen for. He panted and leaned his head on the door, his fist unfolding so his hand lay flat where he had struck. He hated this, this feeling of no power or choice, but it was reality.

Yami sighed and stood up, walking back to his cot where he laid down and stared at the ceiling determined to wait up until Yugi got back.

* * *

Yugi walked down the corridor, his hands held in front of him and his gaze focused on the ground. He tried to think through his muddled thoughts, but the fear slowly crept in, and all he could think about is what would happen next.

The doors to what Yugi knew was the dining room, though he had never seen the inside, opened and Yugi stepped into the grand room.  
"Ah! Here is my new gift!" A snide voice came from across the room, but Yugi kept his head down. Steps walked towards them and Yugi tried to hide his trembling as a hand lifted his head. He made sure his eyes were still averted, but the sight of a pendant with a six pointed star on it made him blink in shock. He felt a rush of…something, and he wasn't so scared anymore. Why was he supposed to be scared again? "Quite a beauty, Father, I have to thank you." He couldn't remember anything. Was there something he needed to remember? Yugi didn't know what he was worrying about. This man seemed to know everything, so it would be alright.

"I believe I will enjoy my gift now, if you will excuse me." There was a small giggle and Yugi had to wonder who it was. "Of course, my son, I give you my leave."

The only man Yugi knew existed gripped his wrist and pulled him along, his light blue hair flowing behind him. They walked alone for a while before he stopped before a door. Opening and pushing Yugi inside, the man immediately pulled him into a kiss.

Yugi stiffened at the rough lips, some of his fear coming back. But when green and gold eyes opened to stare into his, it faded again. The man smirked and threw Yugi onto the bed in the room. "Dear one, what is your name?" Yugi's master started to undress as he walked over to Yugi.

"Yugi, Master." Yugi's voice sounded dull and monotone to him, and he wondered why, but his thoughts were quickly stopped again. He didn't have to worry about that, did he? No, everything was alright and his master was going to take care of him.

* * *

Yami paced the room, his eyes occasionally flicking to the small candle that lit the room. It had been at least two hours since Yugi had left, and Yami had been worrying the entire time. He sat down on his bed and placed his face in his hands. Ra, he wished there was some way that Yugi didn't have to go through this. He was so innocent and light, Yami couldn't help but wonder how Lord Dartz might change him.

The door to the room opened and someone walked in. Yami quickly stood up and stared as Yugi slowly made his way to his bed.

"Yugi! Are you alright?" Yami narrowed his eyes slightly when the boy didn't answer and sat on his bed. He stared at Yami with a dazed look, and Yami's eyes widened when he saw the red tint in his love's amethyst eyes, and the green circle that was still glowing behind Yugi's forelock.

"Yugi?" The boy blinked and the six pointed star started to fade. Yugi looked around confused before everything came back to him. He started to hyperventilate when he felt strong arms around him. He tried his best not to flinch, but Yugi knew Yami noticed the small wince that he made. "Are you okay?"

Yugi lied and nodded his head. "Yes. I am fine. I think I want to go to bed now, Yami." He shocked himself when his voice came out steady, and his shock grew when Yami nodded his head after a pause and moved away.

Yami placed a kiss on Yugi's head, not that he noticed, and moved back to his own bed, blowing the candle out. Yugi laid down slowly, biting his lip against the pain that shot up his spine. How had he not noticed it on the way back to his room? In fact, why couldn't he remember most of what had just happened? Yugi silently started to sob, placing a hand over his mouth to make sure Yami wouldn't hear him.

Yami's anger grew when he heard the not-so-silent sobbing slowly start to fade from the room. Knowing that Yugi had cried himself to sleep, Yami sat up and stared at the shadowed figure on the other bed in the room. Taking a deep breath, he growled in frustration and punched at his pillow. If he was a free man he could help Yugi. If he didn't have his indenture he could buy Yugi and set him free. But no, he was stuck here, just like Yugi.

He didn't know what that green circle with the six pointed star was about, but he was going to find out.

* * *

Ryou hummed lightly as he folded the newly washed laundry and placed it in the closet. A week had passed, and Ryou found himself happy to be with Bakura. He had been given a small twin-size bed, with sheets and a pillow, and Bakura had always made sure he had enough food. He smiled fondly, thinking about the man he was slowly falling for.

Ryou paused at that thought. Had he forgotten about everything? Bakura's people had taken Akefia and Grandpa from him, and had split him and his brother apart. He would not-could not-forget that, and there was no around it. He did not like Bakura.

At that moment, his master stormed into the room and collapsed face-first on the bed. Ryou finished and walked out of the closet, bowing slightly before kneeling next to the bed.

"What is it, Bakura?" Bakura had lost his patience on the third day of Ryou calling him master all the time, and had ordered him to call him Bakura when they were alone.

"My father," came the muffled response from the sheets, "is an asshole."

Ryou giggled a little and slowly crawled onto the bed, kneeling next to Bakura and starting to knead his shoulders and back. "He really couldn't have been that bad."

Bakura groaned and turned his head to the side to watch Ryou. His brow was furrowed and he stared intensely at Bakura's back as he tried to work through his knots. Bakura found it adorable, and frowned when he had that thought. "He wants to hold a ball so I can find a wife."

Ryou licked his lips in shock and ducked his head, hiding his eyes as he kept his hands massaging in a calming manner. "When?"

"He decided on two. One in a month, and another in two months." Ryou nodded his head and didn't respond still hiding behind his hair.

Bakura's back tensed up again as he started talking about his father. "I don't need a damn wife! I can handle myself just fine."

Ryou finally looked up and smiled past the pain in chest. "He just cares about you, Bakura."

"Bullshit!" Bakura quickly sat up, almost knocking Ryou over, but he caught him with a strong hand on his wrist. Ryou blushed, and once Bakura was sure he wouldn't fall, let go and looked away. "He doesn't care for me at all, I'm just a replacement for his real son."

Ryou heart panged a little. "What happened to him?"

Bakura smirked, but it was bitter. "He ran. He and his little brother just up and left. Leaving Gozaburo to find a new heir."

"You." Ryou whispered.

Bakura's lip bent up in a snarl. "Yeah, me. A little orphan stranded on the streets with nowhere to go. I'll never forgive Seto for pulling me into this."

"You knew him?" Ryou asked.

"Yeah, he helped me and a friend of mine out whenever we got into some serious trouble. Guess he thought that this would pay it off." Bakura snorted and slid off the bed. "Whatever. Doesn't matter now." He walked to the door and looked at the guards stationed there. "Hey, you plan on bringing us any food?"

They bowed and one left. "Of course, Lord Bakura."

Ryou watched from the bed as Bakura tried to release some frustration by pacing. "Why do you have guards?"

That stopped him. He turned and faced the pale slave and smirked. "So I don't run away too."

The food was brought in and Ryou considered this as he slid off the bed to kneel on the ground as Bakura ate, sometimes handing some of his food to him.

Bakura was guarded and prevented from leaving, just like him. He was a prisoner, too. That thought made him smile.

* * *

Yami sighed as Yugi started laughing. It had already been a month since the first time Dartz had called Yugi, and the boy still hadn't recovered. It was taking more and more for him to smile, and it was even harder to get him to laugh. But Yami tried his best, and his heart lifted every time he heard the musical voice lift in laughter.

Yugi had been called around twice a week and each time returned with the strange glowing circle. He had no idea what Yami was talking about when he asked, and Mana, who had some knowledge of magic, had no idea what it could be.

"Yami, are you okay?" Yami turned to stare into amethyst orbs.

He smiled and nodded his head, wrapping his arm around Yugi as they continued to walk from the garden carrying the herbs Mana had wanted.

Yugi didn't look convinced. He fiddled with his hands, they were empty since Yami had offered to carry the basket. Suddenly, shocking both boys, he reached up and pressed a chaste kiss on Yami's cheek.

The effect was immediate. Yami stumbled and looked over to the side with a red face, staring at an even redder Yugi who had stopped completely, staring at his nervously moving hands.

Yami stood and walked over to Yugi, lifting his chin up. Searching in the boy's eyes for something he found almost instantly, Yami brought his lips down to kiss Yugi.

Yugi gasped and kept his eyes open as Yami's closed, and the boy felt a foreign tongue slip inside his mouth. His stomach fluttered when it started to stroke his own and he wrapped his arms around Yami's neck. The basket fell to the ground.

The kiss deepened and Yami titled his head and placed his hands on Yugi's hips, pulling him closer. Yugi moaned and unconsciously grinded his hips, making Yami falter which in turn let Yugi win the tongue war and slip inside Yami's mouth. Their tongues twisted with each other and Yami's hands drifted up to run his fingers through Yugi's hair.

They broke apart panting heavily, each holding the other's face. Yugi blushed deeply and stepped away, apologizing. "I-I'm so-sorry, At-Yami. I don't know what came over me. Really."

Yami's heart ached when he noticed the slip-up. Did someone else already hold Yugi's heart? And he had just kissed the boy? "No, Yugi, it's me who should be apologizing." When it's obvious that you love someone else.

Yugi looked down and felt tears in his eyes. He had thought for sure those feelings were buried, and now he had hurt Yami because he had let his mind drift back to a time when everything was perfect. Why did he always ruin everything? Sure Yami looked like Atem, and he knew he had feelings for both boys, but to mess up their names…Yugi watched as a tear fell to the ground.

Yami had a mini panic attack when he saw that tear and rushed over to wipe away anymore. "Yugi, don't cry. The kiss was amazing, but I'm sorry I forced something on you that you didn't want to do."

Yugi shook his head and smiled. "But I did want it." He then picked up the basket and walked past a confused Yami back to Mana, who worried over Yugi's red eyes. Yugi brushed Mana away, saying it was nothing and watched as Yami came back in, and knew that they would have to talk later from the look Yugi got.  
Little did they know, they had had someone watching them kiss. Green and gold eyes filled with anger, then with smugness as their owner walked from the shadows and towards the kitchen.

Yami and Yugi sat next to each other, watching Mana as Dartz strut in. Yugi gulped and stood up with Yami to follow Mana into a bow.

"Hello, Master Dartz, do you require me?" Yugi's voice shook, but he stood his ground.

"Yes, I need you and your friend, Yami." The name came out with a sneer.

Yugi looked like he was about to protest, but something overcame him and he nodded robotically. "Yes, Master."

Mana watched, it was the first time she had seen the reaction Yugi had around Dartz, and her gaze turned worried as Yugi slowly and numbly walked towards Dartz, turning and waiting behind him for Yami. The star was there and Mana studied it intensely, wishing her teacher was here to help her figure out what it meant.

Yami walked towards them and Dartz turned smartly and walked out the door, leaving Yami and Yugi to follow.

Yami figured out almost immediately where they were headed, walking away from the house and past the fields. Yugi walked slowly next to him, his red-tinted eyes staring in front of him. Just as Yami was about to ask Yugi if he was alright, they stopped at the Nile.

* * *

**SW: I decided to make the chapter a little longer because I missed a day.**

**Yugi: We kissed!**

**SW: Yeah, but you messed up by almost saying Atem.**

**Yami: Will I ever not be compared to him?**

**Atem: I resent that.**

**Yami: Go ahead and resent it all you want. I got Yugi and you're dead.**

**Uh…Review please?**


	9. Drownings and a Ball

**SUMMER VACATION! Whoo!**

**SW: Yay! I'm motivated to write another chapter!**

**Ryou: Do I get to kiss Bakura now?**

**Akefia: What am I chopped liver?**

**Ryou: No no no! It's just that, um….**

**Bakura: Face it, he likes me better.**

**Ryou: Not true! I mean, I like you both but…um…**

**Thank you to RowenaBasizaki (Glad you liked it! :D That makes me happy!), samaurai (Yeah…I know), snow-kim (He sorta remembers, but not enough to really get it, you know? He just thinks that he's getting tortured or something), and Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Close but no cigar!)**

**Hope you like!**

* * *

Yami tensed as Dartz took out a rope and wrapped it around a silent and still Yugi. What the hell was happening? He kept one end, the other attached around Yugi's waist, like some kind of weird leash.

"Yo Dartz! You got new bait?" Three figures walked up and Dartz smirked as they approached.

"Ah, Panik, Rex, Weevil. So glad you could make it. Yes, this delectable savage is a gift from my father." Dartz wrapped an arm around Yugi, and Yami glared at his back.

"Hey! That's the brat that I lost! I should have been the one to get him!"

"I almost raped this kid! Stupid first mate stopped me, but there isn't anyone to do that now."

"Hehehe. No one to stop you now. Hehe."

Dartz rolled at the antics of the three men that had stopped in front of his gift. "I don't care if or how you know it. This slave is mine."

Yami blinked. Did he just call Yugi an 'it'? Oh, that got him mad, and he fisted his hands at his sides.

There was grumbling from all three men and Dartz grabbed Yugi's shoulders guiding him to the edge of the water. "Do you have the bows and arrows?" They all held up their weapons.

"Good." He lifted the lightweight Yugi up in the air…and chucked him into the Nile.

Yami jerked and started forward, but a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked up and saw the one named Panik was preventing him from saving Yugi.

The minute Yugi hit the water, whatever spell was over him broke. "Ah! Where-How-YAMI!"

There was a moment of silence as Yugi went under, and Dartz yanked his end of the rope to get him back to the surface. Yugi coughed and spluttered and tried to keep above the water. "Help me, Yami! I can't swi-" He went under again and Yami shook with anger and tears filled his eyes as he watched the flailing arms sink again.

Rex and Weevil were laughing as they watched Yugi. "Good job, Dartz! You got a squirmer!"

There was movement in the water around Yugi as he was pulled to the surface again by Dartz. "Yami! Something's in the water! Please help me!" Yami could hear the sobbing in Yugi's voice and it broke his heart.

"Alright boys, I think I see 'em. I'm going to start pulling my slave in, get your bows ready." Dartz yanked on the rope and Yugi squeaked as he was pulled to the edge of the river. A second after that, a pair of jaws snapped at where Yugi had just been. Yami's eyes widened and he twisted the hand on his shoulder so he could run to the river. "Yugi! Try to swim! There are crocodiles!"

Yugi screamed and kicked his legs, effectively hitting another crocodile in the snout and sending it swimming off. Panik, Rex, and Weevil all had arrows flying, and the water in the Nile was soon red with crocodile blood. Yugi reached shallow water and ran out of the river, straight to Yami.

"We got one! Your slave is a lucky charm, Dartz! He didn't even lose a limb!" The white belly of a crocodile floated to the surface, and started to drift down the river, but the four men didn't care, they were hunting just for fun.

Yugi shivered and clung to Yami, never opening his eyes, and Yami lifted Yugi up to carry him to the palm trees that lined the Nile. He sat down and started to rub Yugi's arms in an attempt to get the warmth back in them.

"Alright!" Dartz walked towards them, rubbing his hands, and Yami wrapped his arms protectively around the boy shaking in his lap. "Who's ready to go again?"

* * *

"I'll be there too, you know." Ryou was watching as Bakura picked out a shenti to wear at the ball, he had simply refused to have Ryou help him and Ryou wasn't complaining. He stared at the ground with a large blush as Bakura stripped and dressed.

"That doesn't make me feel any better about going." Bakura growled out and threw a much less decorated, but clean shenti at Ryou, who caught it right before it hit his face. "Here, better wear this."

Ryou swallowed and nodded his head, walking into his room to quickly change.

When he came out, Bakura looked him over once and nodded his head, then walked out the door and motioned Ryou to follow. The guards that waited constantly at the door followed a few steps behind, and Ryou had to keep himself from looking backwards.

"You can't talk unless I give you permission. Not even a yes or no, understand?"

"Yes, Master Bakura."

"Good." They stepped into the dining room and Ryou's eyes widened as a wave of sound met his ears. Lyres, harps, flutes, and drums were all playing softly in the background and Ryou had to be careful not to get caught up in the notes. If only Yugi were here, it would make him so happy.

* * *

"Yami! Help! EYYAAAH!" Yugi was hurdled through the air again and Yami winced as he splashed into the water.

"Such a fun game, isn't it, Yami?" Dartz handed the rope to Panik and went to stand by the fuming man. "Playing with my slaves has always been a pastime of mine, and since it is mine, I can do anything I want with dear Yugi!" Dartz laughed wildly as Yugi was pulled in again, barely getting in away from the jaws. He was lifted onto Panik's shoulders and he looked over to Yami silently pleading for help. Yami started to run forward but Dartz gripped his arm. "It would be a pity if anything was to happen to it, but the slave is _mine_. Do you understand, Yami?"

Something washed over him, telling him to obey and forget, but there was a fiery protest in his chest, a yank of power he hadn't known was there. The shadows under the palm trees shifted and Dartz's glowing eyes filled with shock. Thinking that he was expecting some kind of response, Yami swallowed and watched as Yugi was once again pulled in. "Yes, Lord Dartz."

Dartz shook his head and the greedy smile returned to his face. "Good! Now let's help Yugi understand that no one else can have what's mine, shall we?" Dartz signaled off to the side and a slave girl Yami didn't know the name of came running up. He pointed to Yami and the girl nodded her head, sauntering over and pressing her body to him.

"Hey! Wh-what are you doing?" Yami tried to push the girl off and watched as Dartz clapped his hands and told his 'friends' to back off and let Yugi go. The girl dragged her tongue along Yami's ear and he shivered in disgust. "I'm obeying orders, Yami, not that I mind." "Get off me!"

Yugi sprinted away the minute the rope was off him, still dripping wet, but smiling as he stopped in front of Yami. The smile slipped from his face when he noticed the girl pressed up against him. "Ya-Yami." His hands wrapped around his body and he shifted from foot to foot to try and keep up body heat. "Ma-Master D-Dartz says we-e c-can go n-now."

The girl gave Yugi a withering glance before turning her attention to a still struggling Yami. "Can't you see we're busy, squirt? Scram and let the big kids play." Yugi gasped and looked between the two.

"Yugi…it isn't true. Don't believe her." He tried to pry off her hands and looked Yugi in the eyes. "Just let me get rid of her and we can-" Yami head was forced to turn by the girl's hands and she pressed her lips to Yami's.

There was a loud gasp followed by sobbing that faded away as Yami heard Yugi run. Yami shoved the girl away and slapped her face, sending her to the ground. "Damn you!" He wiped at his mouth and spit into the ground. "Do you know what you've done?"

The girl held her cheek and shook where she lay on the ground. "I'm sorry. I was just obeying-"

"I don't care if the Pharaoh himself ordered you to kiss me! Yugi was just learning to trust again and you fucking ruined it!" Yami looked at the sinking sun, not realizing they had spent so much time at the riverbank. It would soon be completely dark. Yami ran off, knowing exactly where Yugi would have gone.

* * *

Ryou sighed and watched as Bakura danced with another girl. Each time he went on the dance floor he came back in a worse mood then before. It didn't help that Ryou didn't really _want _to make him feel better. He knew it was mean, but maybe if the Bakura didn't like any the girls then he would-

"Come on. We're leaving." Bakura grabbed a hold of Ryou's wrist and, yanking him out of his daydream, pulled him along to the exit.

"But what about the-"

"What did I say about talking without about permission?" Ryou mumbled an apology and Bakura sighed as he slowly opened the door and slipped out of the room full of dancing people. "The guards should be all sleeping by now. It wasn't that hard to slip something into their drinks."

Ryou didn't answer, but let Bakura drag him along and out a side door. His eyes widened as a beautiful garden came into view. The darkening sky that signaled the sun had set and night was coming didn't provide much light to see, but he could make out the vibrant colors of different flowers. He tried to take in everything as Bakura picked up the pace to a run.

It wasn't long until Ryou was out of breath and struggling to keep up with the man in front of him. He stumbled and tripped over his own feet, but always caught himself in time to keep going. His chest started to hurt and tears pricked in his eyes. His hand slipped from Bakura's grip and he fell to his knees, holding his chest and panting.

A few moments after that, once he realized that Bakura hadn't stopped for him, a very familiar mop of hair caught Ryou's eye, and he blinked to make sure it wasn't an optical illusion. He was slowly catching his breath and he stood up to look at the figure in front of him. He smiled brightly, but then bit his lip, glancing between the fading footsteps of Bakura in front of him and the shaking form next to him. Making a decision, he smiled again and ran to the left.

Bakura halted after a moment and looked back. Groaning and letting his head fall backwards, he started to backtrack. When had he lost Ryou? Rolling his eyes as he picked his way through the garden to get back to when he last remembered having Ryou in his grip, he silently swore under his breath at the time they were wasting.

* * *

Yugi sobbed into Mana's arms and tried to explain what happened through his blubbering. He was still soaking wet and shivering. "Yugi, sweetie, come inside. I think I know what you need; a nice cup of tea and sitting by the warm fire should be perfect."

Yugi sniffled and he knew he hadn't gotten across to her. He nodded his head and wiped at his nose, he needed to get a grip. It wasn't like he and Yami were in a relationship. The man could go and kiss any-anyone he-

Mana watched as Yugi collapsed in front of the fire, sobbing again. The warmth from the fire had quickly dried his skin, but his shenti was still dripping. Sighing, she turned and started the water for tea. What could have happened that made him like this?

"Yugi!" The boy jerked as his name was called and wiped at any of the tears that were still on his face. "Are you in here?"

"Yes, Yami, I'm here." Yami winced at the cold tone, and he licked his lips nervously at seeing the tear stains that were on Yugi's face when he turned around. "What do you need?"

"You don't understand. It was a mistake and-"

"You bet it was a mistake! **How could you! I trusted you!**" Yugi was yelling at the top of his lungs and hadn't even realized he had slipped into his native language. "**You bastard! I thought I knew what kind of person you were! I can't believe that you let her kiss you!**" He threw his hands up in the air and started to walk out the door, leaving behind two stunned Egyptians. "**I'm such an idiot! Why in the world would you want me?!**" He shook his head and braced his body against the doorframe. He took a deep breath. "I-I need some air." With that, Yugi took off into the night, running out to the garden that separated their property from the next lord over's.

Yami's widened eyes met Mana's narrowed ones. She crossed her arm and glared at the suddenly squirming boy in front of her. "I can understand some Japanese and none of what I just heard was good. I suggest you go after him and try to apologize. If he'll let you."

"But that was what I was trying to-" Mana raised a finger and silenced Yami. "I don't want to hear it." She put her hands on Yami's shoulders and turned him around propelling him out into the night to go after Yugi. "Go."

The door to the kitchen slammed shut behind him and Yami shook his head. He started at a trot in the direction that Yugi went, hoping to catch him before anything bad happened. Like get caught on someone else's land. Just the thought made Yami shiver and pick up the pace.

* * *

Yugi sobbed and scrambled through the bushes and flowers, trying to get as far away from the kitchen as possible. He couldn't see the ground very well, thanks to the bushes and the creeping darkness that came with night, but he was dealing.

He was replaying the scene over and over again in his head and he couldn't believe he had just exploded like that. It wasn't like him at all. He knew he should go back and apologize, but he needed to fix the pain in his chest first. He wasn't entirely sure how he would do that, but he needed to try.

Finally running out of energy, he collapsed on the lush grass, fingering it and thinking back to home, how it was so abundant there but so rare here. 'This must be a very rich man's house.' It didn't really connect in Yugi's mind that he shouldn't be there, and he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the rustling of the plants behind him.

"**Nii-san!**" Yugi was knocked to the ground by a body and the world went silent as he looked up into very familiar chocolate brown eyes.

* * *

**SW: Well, I didn't leave you with much suspense there.**

**Bakura: *rolls eyes* Yeah, I have absolutely idea who could have tackled Yugi and who Ryou could have seen.**

**SW: *taps chin in thought* Really? I think I made it pretty obvious.**

**Bakura: Sarcasm's a moot point on you isn't it?**

**Ryou: I'm sorry *hits Bakura on head* Bakura's being rude.**

**Yugi: It's okay, people say that about SoWhatever all the time.**

**SW: Hey!  
Yami: It's true.**

**Whatever…Review, please!**


	10. A Whipping

**SW: I think I like the way this story is going so far.**

**Ryou: I get to see Yugi again!**

**Yugi: I get to see Ryou again!**

**SW: Yeah but remember you're still mad at Yami and Bakura is annoyed with Ryou for falling behind.**

**Ryou and Yugi: Oh yeah…**

**Thank you to samaurai (Yeah that's gonna change this chapter…), RowenaBasizaki (Thank you! And I'm pretty sure it'll all be ok in the end…maybe), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Well, I didn't make it really obvious until the end so that's okay!), IlluminatedWord (I am so glad you like it! I love writing this and the reviews make it even better!), and Themidnightvampress (Why thank you!) for reviewing!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Yugi laughed, forgetting why he was there in the first place and pushed Ryou back so they were sitting across from of each other. They stared, taking each other in, before giggling and hugging each other tightly.

"**What are you doing here, Ryou?**" Yugi smiled brightly, trying to stop laughing happily from seeing his brother.

"**Me? What are you doing here?!**" Ryou covered his mouth to hide a giggle. "**And why are you soaked?**"

That changed Yugi's mood. He looked down and fiddled with the edge of his shenti. "**Yugi-kun?**" Ryou pulled Yugi's head up by the chin and looked him in the eyes. "**What happened?**"

"**It was…well…**" Yugi shifted uncomfortably and smiled a little, shaking his head. "**It doesn't matter now.**"

"Ryou! Where the hell are you?" Ryou gasped and looked behind him. There was rustling and Ryou gripped Yugi's arms as Bakura walked through the bushes. "There you are! What are you-" Bakura took in the boy Ryou was clinging to and his eyes narrowed, suspicious, "Who's this?"

Ryou laughed and looked between the two.

Just as he was about to reply there was more movement next to Bakura and Yugi's eyes widened as Yami appeared. "There you are, Yugi! I wanted to say-Bakura?" He noticed the man standing next to him, who crossed his arms and smirked at the man. "What are you doing out here?"

"Trying to get away from my insane, adoptive father, but Ryou here got distracted." He motioned to the albino boy clinging to the one Yami was looking for. "I'm guessing you're looking for his distraction?"

Yami nodded his head and he recognized the albino as the one Yugi had said goodbye to on the camel. "Yeah, they know each other. They're brothers."

Bakura's shoulders relaxed a little. "They sure are acting a lot closer than brothers." The two had been speaking to each other in hushed tones, touching one another, and completely ignoring their look-a-likes.

"**Ryou, I missed you so much!**" Yugi exclaimed and tackled Ryou to the ground in a hug.

Ryou squealed and pushed Yugi off him. "**Nii-san! You know there are other people here!**"

Yugi looked confused for a moment before he smacked himself on the forehead. "I completely forgot!" He looked up sheepishly and stood slowly to stand before Yami. He fidgeted with his hands and his next words, which Yami thought would be anger-filled, shocked the man in front of him. "I'm sorry for exploding at you, Yami. I shouldn't have, it was uncalled for."

Yami lifted up Yugi's chin with his finger, "It's alright, Yugi, I should've apologized before for not getting the slut off me sooner."

Bakura gagged and Ryou cooed when Yugi latched on to Yami and they turned towards the two, smiling brightly. Yami nodded to Bakura, "Trying to run away again, huh?"

Ryou looked up at Bakura from his spot kneeling on the ground. "Run away?"

Bakura glared at the ground and, though he would never admit it, a blush flitted across his face. "Well, I couldn't just leave you here all alone to be punished by my father."

Yami smirked, "What, and you were gonna leave me behind?"

"Well, I'm _sorry_ Mr. Goody Two Shoes. Forgive me if I didn't want to bring more people than necessary."

Yami rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders, causing the boy to blush, "It's alright, I wouldn't want to leave Yugi anyway."

Ryou swallowed and stood, walking over to Yugi. He looked down at his hands and sniffled. "Bye, Yugi."

Yugi blinked then realized what was happening. Ryou was running away and he wasn't going with. He smiled lightly and wrapped Ryou in a hug. "Be safe, **Otouto-san**."

Ryou let out a small sob into Yugi's shoulders and Bakura groaned and smacked his forehead. "Fine! A month from now. We will run away. Together. All four of us."

Ryou screamed in happiness and tore himself from Yugi to latch himself on Bakura, who growled and stared at the person hugging him. Awkwardly patting the boy's head, he looked at the snickering Yami. "Shut up, Yami."

The man shrugged and turned to leave, taking Yugi with him, who was grinning and waving over his shoulder. "See you in a month, Bakura."

Bakura rolled his eyes and pried Ryou off him. He noticed the tears streaking down his face and groaned. "What are you crying about now?"

Ryou laughed a little and wiped away his tears. "They're happy tears, Bakura…Thank you."

Bakura started to walk back to the house, his hands clasped behind his head. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

Ryou laughed and ran up behind Bakura, smiling as they walked through the back door they had tried to escape from.

"There they are!" As they stepped through the doorway, however, guards came from everywhere and grasped at both boys.

* * *

Yugi sighed and cuddled up to Yami, smiling in content as they walked through the night. "Thank you for forgiving me, Yami."  
Yami smirked and placed a light kiss on Yugi's head. "Anytime, Yugi. Thank you for not staying mad."

The boy looked down with a blush and fiddled with his hands until they reached the kitchens. Yami sighed when Mana wasn't there, he would have to deal with her anger tomorrow then. "Come on, Yugi. Let's go to bed."

Yugi nodded and broke away from Yami, giggling and running forward. Yami shook his head and followed at a walk.

When he entered the room he was surprised to find Yugi curled up in bed, but on _his_. Yugi snuggled in deeper when he noticed that Yami had entered, daring the man to make him leave.

Yami looked up to the ceiling and prayed for strength, before walking and lying next to Yugi, who immediately latched himself onto him. Yami swallowed roughly as Yugi intertwined their legs, pulling them closer to each other. Yugi smirked impishly, not knowing why Yami was suddenly so stiff, but he found it funny. Giggling some more, he buried his head in Yami's chest, and promptly fell asleep, missing the blush on Yami's face.

* * *

Ryou gasped and struggled against the two men holding him, noticing that most of the guards went after Bakura, who was putting up much more of a fight. A knife clattered to the ground, having been removed from Bakura. Footsteps echoed down the hallway where they were standing and everyone looked up as Gozaburo Kaiba walked towards them.

Bakura immediately started to struggle again, but was forced to his knees with a strong grip on his hair and a knee on his back.

"Well, well. What have we here?" Gozaburo stepped up to Bakura, gripping his chin and making the boy look him in the eye. "Another escape attempt?" He put more emphasis on attempt and moved on to walk to Ryou, who was staring fixedly at the ground. "But why attempt to bring your new slave? What possible benefit could this" He gripped Ryou's arm and squeezed, causing Ryou to whimper and Bakura to jerk harder against the four holding him, "weak thing bring to you?" Gozaburo stepped away and tapped his chin in thought. "Oh, I know!" He walked back to Ryou and yanked his hair back to force him to look up, and Ryou held back a scream. He forced Ryou to look at Bakura, who was staring with hate-filled eyes at his adoptive father. "You've fallen for this runt, haven't you? Oh, that's splendid!" He let go of Ryou and clapped his hands together. "Bring them to the dungeons! We are going to make sure that Bakura never runs away again!"

Ryou sobbed as he was shoved forward and through a hallway he had never been before, and was forced down a staircase that they reached at the end of it. The place was dimly lit and there were two dank, smelly cells side-by-side that were only separated by a row of bars.

Bakura was thrown into one, and he launched himself at the door, jangling it, hoping to find that it wasn't locked.

Ryou screamed as he was thrown in the other, but he wasn't left alone. One guard stayed with him and forced to stand from where he fell when he was pushed in. The guard tied his wrists with rope, and then hooked that rope to a piece of metal on the back wall of the cell. Ryou could barely stand flat-footed, and he could feel his arms start to hurt from the strain. He turned his head sideways and saw Bakura staring back at him, his place in the cell over giving him a perfect view of whatever was going to happen.

Gozaburo then walked into the cell and Ryou flinched as he heard something slap against the floor.

"No, Father, you can't!" Bakura gripped the bars that separated the cells and watched as Gozaburo walked towards the shaking Ryou. He hoped that by calling the man father he would appease him to stop.

Ryou started to hyperventilate, figuring out what was happening immediately. They had used a whip to punish criminals in his village, but they had always had their clothes on. He could only imagine the pain he would feel on his bare back, the only clothing he had was the shenti.

The whip slapped the ground again and Ryou squeaked. "Bakura." He whispered, looking into the eyes of the man next to him. "I'm scared."

Bakura swallowed and anger flowed through him. "Don't be, you'll be okay." As soon as he finished that, however, Ryou let out a scream and Gozaburo looked in satisfaction at the line of red that had followed his whip.

He struck again, causing Ryou to let out another pained scream. "This is what will happen every time you run, dear Bakura, whether you leave him here or take him with you." He struck twice more. "Whenever you are caught." Another lash. "And you will be." Three more. "You will be made to watch this." Ryou screamed again, a heart-wrenching sound that was filled with absolute agony.

Gozaburo kept striking, and it wasn't long until Ryou no longer had strength to scream, and had simply went limp against the hook that was holding him up. The man struck once more, before smirking at the defeated body before him. He threw the whip off to the side and turned his smirk to Bakura. "You are often quite the escape artist. Let's see if you can get out of this in time to save your slave." With that he walked out and up from the dungeons.

Bakura released the death grip he had on the bars in front of him, and franticly started to look for a way out.

"Ba-ku…ra" The man jerked at his name and rushed over to where he saw Ryou looking at him in half-lidded eyes. "I…love you." The boy let his head fall forward and Bakura's eyes widened.

Nervously cracking his knuckles, he turned and swept his eyes over the cell again, his gaze falling on a loose brick. Prying it from the wall, he went over to his door cell. He grunted as he clanged it against the lock, hoping to break it enough to allow the door to open. He felt his anger at his father and his helplessness grow and he let it flow through his veins.

Suddenly, the door flew open and Bakura rushed forward, not noticing the receding tendrils of shadows that had flown to the door, unlocking it. He stepped into the unlocked cell next to him and stared at the bloodied back of Ryou.

He ran to him and unhooked his arms, sighing in relief when he heard the resulting groan. That meant Ryou was still alive. He quickly lifted Ryou's arms over his shoulders, leaving them tied for the moment so that he could keep the arms wrapped around his neck. He gripped Ryou's legs and turned, hoisting the boy up in a piggyback.

He ran to his room, knowing that none of the healers here would want to heal someone punished by Gozaburo, and delicately placed Ryou on his stomach on the bed and grabbed a knife from the bedside table to remove the rope around Ryou's wrists.

He bit his lip at the wounds, some were still freely bleeding. He grabbed a bowl and filled it with water, placing it next to Ryou before running off again to grab towels, both dry and damp.

He quickly cleaned the lashes, knowing how to from past wounds. Once he got rid of all the dried blood he could, he rushed off to grab bandages he kept hidden in his closet, and tenderly wrapped Ryou's back, having to carefully lift him off the bed to get the bandages under him.

Bakura sighed and collapsed next Ryou when he was done, and looked at the closed lids of the boy next to him. The eyes behind those lids flitted back and forth, as if dreaming. Right before Bakura let himself fall into sleep, he heard something that made his heart hurt, he knew who it was and the meaning he held in Ryou's heart.

"Akefia…" Bakura turned away from Ryou onto his side and crossed his arms, telling himself to fall asleep. "Where are you? Malik? Help me!" Ryou started to move on the bed, and Bakura immediately turned back, forcing Ryou to stay still so he wouldn't hurt his back more. "Why are you doing this? Akefia!" Ryou whimpered before he sighed and fell into a deeper sleep.

Bakura growled and lay down again, making sure that there was no movement next to him before he too fell asleep. Ryou shifted again and smiled in his sleep. Sighing lightly, he whispered one last name that was missed by the sleeping man next to him. "Bakura…"

* * *

Mana rushed into Yami and Yugi's room before dawn, taking a moment to coo at their position, before running forward and yanking the blanket off them. "Get up! Master Pegasus has called all the slaves for an announcement!"

Both boys sluggishly woke up, but jerked apart when they realized where they were. Mana laughed lightly and threw two shentis at them. "Come on! I'll explain on the way!"  
As they ran through the hallways to the dining hall, Mana told them what was happening. "Master Pegasus has stated that he has to make an announcement. It must be very important for him to do this. The last time it happened was when he had to say his wife, Cecelia, died. Poor man, he never fully recovered."

Yugi nodded and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes and they rushed to the dining hall. He reached over and grabbed Yami's hand once they stopped in front of the grand doors, and the man smiled at him.

Mana pushed open the doors and they walked in together.

* * *

**SW: I have absolutely no idea why this chapter went where it went.**

**Marik: *crossing arms* Probably because your psycho.**

***staring all around***

**Marik: What? *smirks* I can't be the only crazy one here.**

**Malik: Yes, you can. We only need one crazy person.**

**Marik: You know you love me.**

**SW: *gagging at the making out sounds coming from behind her* OK…so yeah.**

**Review please!**


	11. Birth

**SW: Whee! Chapter 11!  
Ryou: Hey Bakura! Bakura! Hey guess what Bakura!**

**Bakura: What…**

**Malik: *spinning around in circles* Me, and Ryou, and Yugi, and SoWhatever, and Ryou-**

**Ryou: *jumping up and down and giggling* You already said my name! You said me twice!**

**Yugi: *squealing and running around the room* SoWhatever got candy and she shared it with us! A lot of it!**

***all three yamis sweat drop***

**Hehe! Oh Ra, I'm so hyper! Thank you to snow-kim (Yeah, I know! But the stupid plot requires evil people!), IlluminatedWord (I think you'll be surprised! Thank you!), samurai (Don't worry! Everything will work out), RowenaBasizaki (Haha I'm glad you liked it! I don't like them being in pain either, but I try to make it quick for them), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Really? I have no idea what would give you the idea of shadow magic! Hehe), and changeofheart505 (It is an awesome book! But as I get further and further into the story more stuff is being changed so you should try it!) for reviewing!**

* * *

Yami and Yugi stared in shock at the number of slaves that had been gathered before joining Mana at the end of the line. Pegasus paced in front of them, with Dartz standing off to the side, glaring at anyone that might have snuck a glance at him.

"I thank you all for coming because I have some fabulous news to tell you!" There was a sigh of relief that went through the slaves, happy that it wasn't any bad news. "I have recently been seeing a lady-" There were loud gasps that went through the crowd. "And I am delighted to tell you that we have found out she is pregnant and we will be getting married as soon as possible."

Whispers ran through the slaves and Mana, Yami, and Yugi looked at each other in shock. "She is around eight months along so please be kind to her and give her the utmost respect. She will be arriving later today. Dismissed."

Dartz stormed out of the room, followed by slaves that had different chores to do. Mana squealed and smiled at the two confused boys. "I am so happy for Master Pegasus! I wonder if she is pretty and if she will bring slaves of her own." She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "I hope there isn't anyone who thinks they are going to take my place as cook." She put a finger to her chin and tapped it in thought. "I wonder why they waited so long into the pregnancy to get married. Why didn't Master Pegasus tell us sooner?" Yami and Yugi laughed and dragged the girl out of the dining hall and started to go back to the kitchen.

"Yugi!" The boy halted immediately and the laughter faded from the hallway. Yami turned around to see Yugi staring blankly ahead with the green glowing symbol on his forehead.

"Yes, Master Dartz?"

Yami's anger grew and the shadows around them grew, the only one noticing it was Mana.

"How about coming to my room now?" The sickly sweet tone voice belonging to the man who was hugging a frozen Yugi from behind made Yami see red.

The shadows whipped out and touched Dartz, causing him to recoil and the symbol to fade from Yugi's forehead. He blinked and looked around, confused.

"Yami, I-" Yami gripped Yugi's wrist and tugged him away, cutting off the sentence he was about to say. "I'm sorry, Master Dartz, but Yugi and I will be required by Mana in the kitchens today."

Dartz shook his head and rubbed his wrist where the shadows had struck. "I see. Very well. Another time then."

Yami nodded and ran off, pulling Mana and Yugi behind him.

* * *

Bakura woke up to a groan and blinked his eyes open. He stared for a moment at the face contorted in pain with eyes glued shut before he darted off the bed to get a cup and a bowl of water. When he came back, Ryou had opened his eyes and was staring at him from his spot on the bed, not tempted to move due to the throbbing pain coursing through his back.

Ryou took the glass of water offered to him and smiled a thanks. He drank it gratefully and winced when he felt hands start to remove the bloodied bandages off his back.

"Damn, Ryou. This looks bad." Ryou buried his head in the pillow underneath and bit the inside of his cheek as Bakura started to clean the wounds.

Bakura wiped away at the dried blood, wincing at the muffled scream he heard from the pillow, and started to rewrap the wounds. "I wouldn't be moving for a while if I were you."

Ryou turned his head to the side and smiled through the pain. "I don't think I want to, but who will clean and get your food?"

Bakura blinked as Ryou suggested that he continue his chores. "Look. I don't want you moving, got it? I managed fine before I had you, I can do it again."

Ryou frowned but reluctantly nodded his head.

* * *

"What was that Yami?" Mana struggled to keep her voice low, mixing up the stew for tonight's dinner to try and keep calm. "The shadows are a dangerous business. I can't believe you of all people would start messing around with them."

Yugi looked between the two of his friends, completely confused. "What do you mean? Yami, what happened?"

The man buried his face in his hands. "I have absolutely no idea. I got angry and then-I don't know-I guess I used magic."

"You _guess_? As in, you didn't even know you could? Oh, Yami that's even worse!" Mana turned from the pot to put her hands on her hips and stare down at Yami. "Having uncontrolled power is dangerous! It could overwhelm you and tear your soul apart! That's what shadow magic does!"

Yugi shifted nervously and fidgeted, "But doesn't Master Dartz use it too?"

Mana looked at Yugi with pity. "Master Dartz has magic of his own. I looked into some of my old magic books and found it out. His pendant is filled with the power of the Orichalcos, which allows him to control you and make you forget whatever he makes you do."

Yugi paled and looked at Yami in fright as Mana rushed forward. "But Yami's magic is different! Once he has control over it and doesn't let his emotions get the best of him, he'll be fine." Mana plopped down on a seat next to Yami. "If only my master were here…he could help you more."

"Well, he isn't. So what am I supposed to do?" Yami fisted his hands and looked over at the cook.

Mana smiled big and met Yami's eyes with enthusiasm. "I can teach you!"

Yugi smiled and laughed a little. "That'll be fun!"

Yami grumbled a little and looked at the two excited people in the room. "So says you, but you won't be the one actually training with her."

Mana laughed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever Yami." She grabbed a basket and handed it to Yugi. "Just go with Yugi to get me some herbs. Yugi knows which ones I need for the stew."

* * *

Ryou turned on his side and watched as Bakura got up and ordered food for the both of them. "Thank you, Bakura."

"It's no problem." Bakura came back and sat on the edge of the bed near Ryou. "Can you tell me something?"

Ryou looked as Bakura shifted nervously and furrowed his eyes in confusion. "What, Bakura?"

Bakura swallowed and slowly met Ryou's eyes. "Who exactly is Akefia?"

Ryou took a shaky breath and matched Bakura's stare. "He was my fiancé, he died when our village was attacked. I…I loved him."

Bakura held back a growl and looked away. "What you said in the cell…before you fainted…Did you mean it?"

Tilting his head to the side, he smiled lightly at the blush on Bakura's face. "What did I say?"

"That you-I mean-that you-you said you loved me."

Ryou blushed as well and looked away. "Ye-yes."

Bakura smirked and brushed his lips against Ryou's. "Good."

* * *

Yugi and Yami slowly walked back to the kitchen, Yugi shyly looking down as he remembered the last time they had been asked to go to the gardens. Yami smirked down at the boy. "Hey, Yugi?"  
The boy blushed and looked up Yami. "Yes?"

Yami reached over and wrapped his arm around Yugi's shoulders. "What are you thinking about?"

Yugi's eyes flitted to Yami's lips and his blush grew redder. "N-nothing."

Yami opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by a scream. The two boys stop and look at each other. "Mana!" They run to the kitchen and storm in, only to stop in shock when they see the girl they are worried about latched onto a man in purple robes.

"Master Mahad! I can't believe you're here!"

The man smiled down at the girl hugging him. "I had heard that you worked here. My mistress, Isis, is the one engaged to Master Pegasus." He scowled before smiling at the two new entrances. "Hello. You must be the Yami and Yugi that Mana was talking about."

The two boys nod numbly. "I would be happy to teach about shadow magic, Yami, provided you listen to me." Yami nodded again.

"But, Master Mahad…I thought that you liked Mistre-"

"That's in the past, Mana." Mahad sighed and ran a hand over his face before smiling sadly down at the girl still latched to his side. "Sometimes…love isn't enough to overcome obstacles."

He laughed and ran a hand through his hair as he looked Yami up and down. "So, young man, are you ready to start?"

* * *

It had been a month since Ryou had been whipped and Bakura was happy to see that he was healing quickly. He could stand on his own and the scabbing wounds had not gotten infected. The only problem was he couldn't walk for long without collapsing in pain. And tonight was the night of the second ball, the day they were going to meet up with Yami and Yugi to run away.

Ryou sighed and grabbed his music sheet, even though he didn't like getting whipped, he was glad that they hadn't left that night, he would have left behind something important to him.

"Are you ready to go, Ryou?"

"Yes, Bakura." Ryou slowly stood up and tenderly walked to the door, where Bakura was waiting. "Let's go."

* * *

A scream ripped through the house and Mana ran forward carrying a bucket of warm water, Yami and Yugi trailing behind her. "Do either of you know how to deliver a baby?"

Yami shook his head while Yugi nodded. "I used to help the midwives back in my village. I know what to do." He ran carefully so as not to shift the paper he was carrying in his shenti, the music sheet constantly with him since today was the day they were going to run.

"Okay, Yugi. You're going to help me. Yami just do as we tell you."

"Isn't there a doctor?" Yami asked as they stopped in front of the room where the screams were coming from.

"Doctor Hawkins is on his way, but he isn't going to make it in time to deliver the baby. We have to do it." Mana pushed open the door and rushed in to help.

Yami stopped at the sight of blood before he shook his head and joined Mana and Yugi on the sides of the bed.

Yugi reached over and gripped Isis' hand. "You're going to be okay, Mistress. People deliver babies all the time. You can do this."

Isis sighed and nodded, before her face contorted in pain. "Get this baby out of me!"

"Sh, Sh. You're all right. You've already down half the work for us." Mana massaged Isis' swollen stomach and spread her legs. "Now I want you to push for me."  
Isis screamed again before collapsing on the bed, panting. "Good. Good. Just keep pushing."

Mana washed her hands and Yami looked away as she pulled down the sheets around Isis and started to work. "Yami! Go get me some towels!"

Yami ran out of the room in relief, glad to have a reason to not stay with the screaming and sweating woman. How Yugi did he would never know.

An hour later and the sound of a crying baby could be heard. Yugi took a towel and started to clean off Isis while Mana swaddled the baby. "It's a beautiful baby boy. You should be proud."

Mana handed the baby to Isis, and she smiled down at it as he opened his eyes. Isis let out a sob and her head dropped as the baby cooed at her.

"Mistress? What is it?"

Isis breathed out shakily and held the baby out. "Please take him. Give him away."

Both Yugi and Mana blinked in shock. "What? Why?"

Isis licked her lips. "I don't want my baby to die. He has his father's eyes."

Mana shakily took the baby boy and looked into his newly opened eyes. She gasped as it wasn't the brown eyes of Pegasus that met her, but the dark purple of… "Master Mahad."

Yugi looked at Isis with sympathy. "Oh, Mistress."

Isis held up her hand. "I don't want to hear it. Just take him away and give him to someone who will take care of him. I will tell Pegasus that he was a still-born or deformed or something." She held back a sob and looked away. "Go."

Mana licked her lips and turned away, cradling the boy. "We'll make sure he is safe, Mistress Isis."

Yami came back with the towels and stopped as he saw Mana holding the baby. "I see I'm late."

Yugi snorted and walked forward, grabbing Yami's hand and pulling him out of the room. "C'mon Yami. We're heading back to the kitchen." Yugi wondered how everything would work out, how they would run away now, but he was sure something would come along and help them.

* * *

**SW: Hooray! I finished!**

**Ryou: YAY!**

**Bakura: Are you still hyper? *glomped by Ryou***

**Yami: *fighting off a hugging Yugi* What do you think?**

**SW: I hope you liked!**

**Review please!**


	12. Running Away

**SW: *staring forward with determination* OK. I'm going to finish this on time.**

**Malik: If you readers didn't know, SoWhatever has a slight problem with procrastination.**

**Seto: Slight? Saying she has a slight problem is like saying Marik is only mildly crazy.**

**Marik: Hey! Must you always pick on me?**

**Bakura: *snicker* It's because it's so easy.**

**Thank you to IlluminatedWord (Yeah…I know. I'm really going to have trouble writing this chapter. It's so sad. And thank you!), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (While that is a good idea…no. Joey, Seto, and Mokuba are coming along. Serenity, Mai, Tristan, and Noah are dead (unfortunately) and Duke is going to have a role in this eventually. Thanks for the questions and the review!) , and RowenaBasizaki (Yeah, um…you'll find out in this chapter) for reviewing!**

* * *

Ryou winced and panted as they ran through the garden, listening to Bakura cackle as the yelling voices of the guards faded behind them. He paused and leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath as Bakura's silhouette faded in front of him. He winced again as a jolt of pain shot through his back when he placed his arms over his head to open his lungs before starting forward to try and catch up.

"What's taking you so long?" The voice came from his side and Ryou screamed and fell to his side, landing roughly on his butt.

"Ba…kura!" Ryou panted out. "You…scared me!"

Bakura crossed his arms and looked back towards the house they were running away from. "How come you aren't keeping up?" He scowled. "I mean, I know you should be going slow thanks to your back, but I wasn't going that fast."

"I have…asthma."

Bakura paused for a moment before nodding and offering a hand to Ryou. "You should have told me. I wouldn't have let you fall behind."

Ryou blushed and took the hand, and was yanked up into Bakura's chest. "Oh!" He tried to step away, but arms wrapped around his waist stopped him. His blush deepened and he looked up into Bakura's smirking face.

Bakura leaned in closer and watched as Ryou's eyes slowly fell closed. Brushing his lips gently across Ryou's, he ended the chaste kiss quickly. Ryou's eyes fluttered open and he smiled up at Bakura before gripping the back of his head.

"Umph!" Bakura grunted in shock as Ryou roughly pulled his head down again. He overcame his shock and smirked down at the boy who was staring back at him as Bakura's tongue found its way into Ryou's mouth.

* * *

"Where is the baby?!" Yugi squeaked as a voice echoed down the hall and he ducked behind the island in the kitchen, cradling the boy. "I want to see my son!"

Mana and Yami looked at each other with wide eyes before each gripping one of Yugi's arms and ushering him out. "Run to the front. I found Mahad and he should be waiting there for you." Mana whispered in Yugi's ear. She gave the boy a small shove, watching him run off. He slowed and bowed to hide the baby as Pegasus passed him and Mana sighed in relief before turning to face the man who stormed into the kitchen. Pegasus looked around the kitchen as another man entered behind him, his eyes focusing on Yami and Mana.

"I know it was you who delivered the child! I want to see him!" Pegasus glared at the two nervous and fidgeting people in the kitchen. "I don't care if it was still-born! I want to hold my child at least once." His voice dropped and Mana's heart panged for the man, if only a little.

The man behind Pegasus coughed, and Mana recognized him as Doctor Hawkins, his gray eyes calmly surveying the scene. "If you don't mind my interruption, Lord Pegasus, but the boy that ran past us, he was carrying the bundle that most likely held your child. He was probably taking him to be buried."

Yami's eyes widened in shock as a vein throbbed on Pegasus' forehead. "After him then!" He turned and started to stalk towards to the main entrance.

Mana and Yami looked at each other before rushing after them, catching up in time to see Pegasus watch Yugi hand off the child to Mahad in the frame of the doorway.

"You!" Pegasus growled and shoved Yugi to the ground, outside of the house. He turned to Mahad, who was cradling his child and watching the scene with narrowed eyes. "Give me my child!"

"Yugi!" Yami ran out into the night and helped Yugi to stand back up off the ground and they turned to watch the scene in front of them.

"The child is not yours. He is mine." The matter-of-fact tone that Mahad had used caught both Doctor Hawkins and Pegasus off guard.

Doctor Hawkins stepped forward when it appeared that Pegasus couldn't speak through his shock. "How can you be so sure, young man? How is it that the child is alive?"

"Mahad!" Everyone's eyes looked over to where Isis was leaning against the wall in the hallway before the door.

"Mistress Isis! You should not be out of bed so soon after labor!" Mana ran forward and helped Isis to stand, trying to get her to go back into the house. Isis shook off the girl's grip and stumbled out to Mahad.

"No. I will stand by my son and his father."

Mahad caught Isis with arm, holding the child with the other. He smiled down at the panting woman. "You are so strong." He caught her lips in a chaste kiss. "But you must go back inside and rest. Regain your strength for Adjo." He nuzzled the child's nose, who cooed sweetly at his father.

"Adjo?" Mahad's worried gaze met Isis, hoping she would approve of the name. She smiled brightly. "It's perfect."

"This is ridiculous! That bitch lied to me!" Pegasus, who had been forgotten by all watching the touching scene, yelled out, enraged that his newly wed wife was unfaithful. "Guards!" Three men appeared, two wielding swords, the other with a bow. "Execute these traitors!"

Isis gasped and Mahad pushed the newly named Adjo into her arms and pushed them behind him and outside. "Run, Isis. As fast as you can and don't look back." He summoned a small amount of shadow magic to form a shield around the two, knowing it would only last a few minutes but wanting to give them some kind of protection.

"No, Mahad! I won't leave you!" Isis stayed at Mahad's back, watching the two with swords advance while the one with a bow notched an arrow. Mahad summoned a sword of his own from the shadows, a shining double-edged blade with a hilt that spiraled in dark purple and black.

Yugi hid behind Yami, who had backed off to a safe distance, and watched the scene from between his fingers. Mana peeked her head from around the halfway closed door, never stepping outside, and Doctor Hawkins watched the scene with a look of horror on his face. Pegasus crossed his arms over his chest, a smug smile crossing his mouth.

Yami flinched as Mahad's sword clashed harshly with a sword, causing the one belonging to the guard to go spinning off to the side. Mahad quickly struck the disarmed man, slicing across his chest and causing him to fall to the ground. However, an arrow was quickly released in retaliation and Isis screamed as Mahad fell to a knee when it struck him in the shoulder. Two more quickly followed into Mahad's stomach and he grunted.

Yugi sobbed quietly as he heard the man whisper his love to Isis before he fell forward onto the ground. There was a loud sigh as Mahad breathed out his last breath and Isis screamed as her heart broke in two. The shield flickered and faded from around Isis and the second guard with a sword yanked the baby from her grip.

"No! Please, Adjo! Please, no!" She gripped the arm of the guard but was thrown to the side roughly and the guard held the now sobbing child out to the side. "NO!" With a quick slash of his blade, the guard smirked as the body of the baby fell to the ground…without his head.

"Adjo!" Isis collapsed on the ground, in between the bodies of her lover and her child. Suddenly, she gasped and her body straightened as an arrow embedded itself in her back. Slowly, turning to face Pegasus, she glared at the man as blood blossomed across the stomach of her dress. "You bastard. I hope you suffer in the Shadow Re-" She was cut off by the guard with the sword, with a simple slice to the neck she fell to the ground, her blood joining that which had already stained the sand in front of the house.

Mana was the first to overcome her shock and ran forward. "Master!" She kneeled down next to the collapsed man, flipping him over to stare into blank purple eyes. "Please, Master Mahad. Wake up." When there was no response, Mana let her tears flow from her eyes and gently closed Mahad's lids. The guard looked at Pegasus, who nodded his head, and started to advance towards the girl.

Mana looked up in anger and stood, shadows rolling off her in waves, her once bright teal eyes dull with pain and sadness. "You killed my master." A tendril flicked off and wrapped itself around the arm holding the sword, keeping it from striking the girl. "For that I can never forgive you." Yami recognized the shadow monster that Mana then summoned as Dark Magician Girl, who Mana ordered to attack the man. The guard was readily killed and Mana turned toward the door where Pegasus was watching with scared and nervous eyes.

Mana raised her hand to command an attack, but was quickly stopped. Yugi gasped when Mana screamed in pain before dropping silently to the ground, an arrow in her heart. The shadows and Dark Magician Girl vanished, leaving only the blood-stained ground and four bodies in the night.

There was a moment of silence before Doctor Hawkins coughed and stepped forward. He looked down in shame at not being able to do anything. "I believe there is no reason for me to remain." He bowed to Pegasus. "If you'll excuse me, Lord Pegasus."

He began walking to his horse, which was attached to a simple cart. He carefully avoided the bodies, knowing he would most likely be killed if he tried to remove them to perform a burial. Doctor Hawkins placed his medicine bag in the cart, on top of two wooden crates. His eyes flicked to the back of the cart for a brief moment, seeing something he took in quickly and ignored, before he turned and saddled the horse. "Wait, Doctor Hawkins!"

Pegasus stepped forward and grabbed Yami's shoulder, shoving him towards the cart. Yami turned around and glared as he caught Yugi, who was thrown after him, causing his music sheet to fall out of his shenti and onto the ground. "Take these two with you. Sell them at the market. Separately." Yugi sobbed and clung to Yami, not noticing that he had dropped his most treasured, and only, possession. "I'll even be nice and let you keep the money." Pegasus turned sharply but stopped when he noticed the folded piece of paper on the ground. "What's this?" He opened it and saw an unfamiliar language written on it. "More savage words?" He glanced at the protesting Yugi over his shoulder. "I thought I taught you better." He quickly tore the paper into tiny pieces, ignoring the screaming boy behind him, who was being held back by Yami. He stomped into the house carrying the shards of the only thing Yugi had from his village and promptly slammed the door against the night.

Knowing he didn't have his music anymore, Yugi cried harder and turned into Yami's chest, who was glaring at Doctor Hawkins as if daring him to make them get in the cart.

Doctor Hawkins fidgeted nervously and gestured to the cart attached to his horse. "I suggest you get in. Before Lord Pegasus sends guards to make sure I left."

Yugi shook his head and Yami growled, but saw that the doctor was right. They would only get hurt if they tried to run now, the guards would be after them in an instant. Maybe they could escape on the road somehow? Yami sighed and gently picked up the crying Yugi and stepped into the cart, and Doctor Hawkins shook the reins of his horse.

Yugi wiped the tears from his eyes and sealed away his emotions, just like when his village was attacked. His heart ached at the pain, but he made his face and actions into a mask that covered it up. He would have to mourn for everyone when he was safe and free, because there was no way he was just going to comply with being separated from Yami. He decided then that he would make a tomb, or a memorial of some sort, to remember everyone, the villagers, Mana, Isis, Mahad, and Adjo.

A while down the road, Yugi stiffened. He looked up at Yami with fear in his eyes. "What about Ryou? And Bakura?"

There was a thump at the end of the cart and both boys looked over to where the noise came from. Suddenly, Ryou, with slightly ruffled hair, popped out from behind a crate. "What about me?"

"Ryou!" Yugi launched himself forward to hug his brother but stopped short when an annoyed Bakura came up beside him, and from the position he was in, it appeared Ryou was sitting on his lap. Yami started laughing hysterically and Yugi tilted his head to the side. "What were you doing?" He tried not to sound accusatory, not wanting to think about what exactly his little brother was doing with Bakura.

Ryou's face erupted in a blush and he tried to smooth his hair back down. "N-Nothing."

Yami kept laughing and Bakura growled. "Shut up, Yami. You know you want to do the same with Yugi."

Yami rolled his and Yugi blushed. The smaller of the two looked at his brother in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you weren't in the woods where we met and Bakura was getting bored so we decided to come over here." Ryou smiled at Bakura, nodding for him to continue.

"I saw what was happening and pushed Ryou into the cart." He shrugged. "It isn't my fault that he pulled me down with. We waited for a while, trying to decide when it would be best to leave, but when we heard that you were coming on the cart anyway, it all-" Bakura was cut off as he and Ryou were sent over the crate they were hiding behind. All four occupants of the cart had lurched forward and had fallen onto the floor of the cart when Doctor Hawkins pulled his horse to an erupt stop at the side of the road.

The man turned and slid off his saddle, walking to the front of the cart. Not looking at all surprised at seeing an extra two people sprawled on the bottom of his cart, the doctor waited patiently until everyone was situated and staring at him with either stubborn or scared eyes.

Holding out a large rock in a gesture that said 'take it', his gray eyes met Bakura's hardened brown ones. In a strong and stubborn voice that rivaled Yami's, Doctor Hawkins spoke clearly to Bakura, knowing he would probably be the only one able to accomplish what he was asking. "Hit me."

* * *

**SW: I am so evil. I feel so bad. I hate this chapter. It sucked. But at least I finished the chapter early…**

**Yugi: Mana's death wasn't in the book!  
SW: Yeah…her character actually doesn't die…but you know I'm a terrible person. I killed someone that didn't need to die.**

**Marik: I know that feel.**

**Malik: Don't you start quoting YGOTAS now!**

**Marik: But that show is awesome!  
Review! Pretty please?**

**P.S. Adjo means treasure in Egyptian.**


	13. Escape

**SW: Seriously, I don't know what's up but I have been writing like I'm mad.**

**Malik: I know! You've been nonstop writing since yesterday! It's weird.**

**Ryou: No weirder than what you do in bed with Marik.**

***stunned silence* *crickets***

**Ryou: What? It's true.**

**Bakura: *cackling* I love you, yadonushi!**

**Marik: *shaking head* It's always the quiet ones.**

**Thank you to RowenaBasizaki (Yeah…I felt sad after writing it…but things will start looking up!), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (DX I know! And yeah…Rebecca is-wait-OMR! I didn't kill Rebecca and I thought I did! I would've fit her in somewhere but I guess I lost track of her after Japan [She was chained up in front of Yugi] Sorry!), IlluminatedWord (Uh…yeah. I feel really bad. I'll try not to make it any worse than it is now…but don't get your hopes up. And yes I have! Lol We'll play, we'll play card games!), and samaurai (Yep! And not true! Ryou still has his paper! You'll find out what happens to it in this chapter) for reviewing!**

**Have fun with this chapter! (Marik: How can you have fun with a chapter? SW: Shut up!)**

* * *

Ryou blinked in shock and looked confused as the doctor motioned the rock towards them again. "Excuse me?"

Doctor Hawkins sighed and ran a hand through his grayed hair. "I do not wish to be a part of this crazy scheme that Lord Pegasus has devised. In fact, I hate slavery in general. It goes against my beliefs."

Yugi smiled, catching on quickly. "So you're going to let us go?"

The man nodded his head. "But we have to make it look like you fought me and escaped. I imagine you two are trying to run away too?" Bakura and Ryou nodded. "That's why I didn't kick you out. The more slaves I can free in my lifetime, the better." The old man gained a smirk. "Plus it looked like you were having an intimate moment."

Ryou blushed and looked away. "Ok, um, so where do we go?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone took in the question. Yami and Bakura met eyes and Yami shrugged. "You know, we never really thought of that."

Doctor Hawkins laid the rock on the cart and looked each person in the eye, as if measuring their will. "I suggest you go south, to Ethiopia."

"What?!" Bakura almost leapt up at the man but Ryou held him back. "Are you mad? We'll have to pass through the Sahara! And the Nubians aren't exactly friendly with the Egyptians!"

The man sighed and shook his head. "Yes, I know. But most that escape will be heading north to the Delta, where they might be able to catch a ship to Greece, and that is where they will be looking for you. Not many know that Ethiopia has the same law as Greece. Any slave to escape from Egypt and make it to their lands will be set free."

Ryou gasped. "Free?" The idea had become foreign to him and he smiled at Yugi, who was grinning back.

Doctor Hawkins nodded. "Yes, you need only to follow the Nile, stray from it and you may be lost in the desert forever." He looked at a skeptical Bakura. "Though the desert is dangerous, the Nile provides lush nutrients and the land around it is green and supple. There is no need to fear the journey as long as you follow its path south. You will eventually reach Ethiopia."

Bakura grunted and looked at the pleading eyes of Ryou. "Fine." He reached over and grabbed the rock Doctor Hawkins had laid down.

The man nodded and reached into one of the boxes on the cart to grab three bags, handing one each to Yugi, Yami, and Ryou. He explained what each held as he handed them out. "Yugi, right? This one contains enough water to last a week." The boy shook the oddly shaped container, listening to the liquid sloshing around inside. It was curved, with the bottom being larger than the narrowed top, and when Yugi opened the cap and looked in, he could see the water inside.

"And Yami? Yes, you will take care of this bag, alright? It holds maps and money. Do any of you know how to read and count money?" Yami and Bakura nodded their heads. "Good."

He turned to Ryou, who smiled and provided his name to the floundering man. "It's Ryou."

"Yes, thank you. This pouch here is enough food, if portioned right, to last all four of you for two weeks." Ryou took the fairly large bag that had a cinched top and swung it over his shoulder. "Alright, that is all I can do for you." He faced the last man and braced his shoulders. "Okay, now knock me out."

Bakura hefted the rock, testing its weight, before bringing it harshly down on the side of Doctor Hawkin's head. The man collapsed and Ryou yelped, crawling over to where he fell. He felt to the sizeable lump and winced, that was going to hurt when he woke up. "You didn't have to hit him so hard, Bakura." He moved the man to a sitting position, bracing him against the cart.

Bakura shrugged. "He said he wanted to be knocked out, I knocked him out."

Yami looked down the road, back towards Pegasus. "I suggest we get a move on. The farther we are when they find him the better."

Yugi nodded and smiled, hopping out of the cart and grabbing one of Ryou's hands that were checking over Doctor Hawkins. "The doctor will be fine, Ryou. Let's go."

Ryou grinned up at his brother and laughed. "Do we even know where we are supposed to start?"

The boy shrugged and helped Ryou stand up. "I suggest finding the Nile first." He looked back at Yami, who was nodding his head.

Ryou nodded and reached into his shenti to grab his music sheet, holding it out to Yami. "Here, can you take this? Yugi, I think you should give him yours too."

Yugi choked out a sob and shook his head as Yami took the paper and slipped into the waterproof bag holding the maps before walking over to Yugi. Wrapping the boy, he comforted even though he wasn't entirely sure what the paper was, only that it was important. "Yugi? You-you have it right?" Ryou worried filled with pity when Yugi franticly shook his head.

Yami placed a kiss on Yugi's forehead before looking at Ryou. "Pegasus tore it up."

"Oh, Yugi…" Ryou joined Yami in hugging the boy. "It's okay. You'll see. You can share mine with me, alright?"

Yugi sniffed and looked at his brother with tear-filled eyes. He smiled lightly and nodded his head. "Thank you, Ryou-kun."

Bakura scoffed and crossed his arms, looking away from the touching scene. "What is so important about that paper anyways?"

Ryou broke apart from the hug and Ryou smiled at Bakura. "They're the last thing we have from Japan. They are music sheets that Jii-chan gave us."

"OK. Gee-chan? Ryou-koon? What do those mean?" Bakura growled out the questions, hating not understanding anything.

Yugi looked over Yami's shoulder at Bakura and giggled at the man's frustration. "They're honorifics. It's like putting and 'lord' or 'sir' in front of someone's name…only at the end."

Yami smiled and pulled Yugi out of the hug to wrap an arm around his waist. He started walking with Yugi, glad they would have something to talk about on their journey. He looked back to make sure Ryou and Bakura were following, only to find they were walking beside them, in the exact same position. Smirking at Bakura, who rolled his eyes, Yami looked back down to Yugi as they made their way across the road to the foliage that would lead them to the Nile. "So what do those ones mean?"

"Well, Jii-chan is like saying Grandpa and the one I put at the end of Ryou's name basically means we know each other really well or are family." Yugi giggled. "Which we are."

They reached the edge of the beaten down path and started to slowly pick their way through the low-growing bushes and palm trees, letting go of each other for easier movement. Yami caught up with Yugi, who was nimbly weaving the forest, even though it was night. "So what would mine be?"

Yugi looked up at the man next to him, confused. "Huh?"

"What would my honorific be?"

Yugi blushed and looked back at Ryou, who was trailing behind but not far enough that he couldn't hear the conversation. Yugi's glance turned to a glare when he saw his brother trying to hold back a laugh. He looked back at the expectant Yami and his blush came back full force. "Oh, um, well, it changes with each person and how close they are with them…"

"So mine with Ryou would be –koon-"

"-kun." Yugi giggled as Yami pulled a face when the boy corrected him.

"You're just trying to avoid the question." Ryou laughed and slightly picked up the pace, though he was breathing heavily, and pulled a grumbling Bakura behind him by the wrist, so they were right behind Yami and Yugi. "Actually, Yami, we don't know each other very well, so it would probably be –san for us."

"-sun, -koon, Jii-chan…Are we having an impromptu lesson on Japanese here?"  
Yami smirked over his shoulder at Bakura. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to know more about their culture." Yugi cooed and gave Yami a quick kiss on the cheek, while Ryou crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows at Bakura.

The man mumbled something like "Sneaky bastard" before motioning Ryou to continue his 'lesson'.

"Well, -san means we know each other and really we're being polite."

Yugi snickered. "Ryou would know all about being polite, he used to use honorifics to no end."

Ryou glared at the boy and smacked him on the top of the head, smiling evilly at the yelp that came after. "It's protocol and it's respectful! Anyways, I've already explained –kun, so the only other one you really need to know is –chan."

Yami nodded, completely enwrapped in learning. "Like Jii-chan?"

"Kinda…not really…no." The two Egyptians looked confused as Ryou changed his mind after thinking further into it.

Yugi laughed and explained. "-chan is used between girls, pets, friends, little kids, and…" Yugi trailed off and looked at Yami, before looking down and blushing.

Bakura grunted and lifted his foot up over an especially large bush, trying to act uninterested. "And?"

Ryou hide a giggle behind his hand. "It's really, uh, intimate for" Ryou laughed as Yugi turned around with a full-on blush and tried to get him to stop talking, "lovers to use it."

Yami turned thoughtful. "Yugi-chan…" He smirked down at the blushing boy looking up at him with wide eyes. "I like the sound of it."

Ryou snuggled up to Bakura as they walked, "Bakura-chan," and made the man blush, though he would fight anyone who told him that.

The two couples stopped and turned to each other, Yugi and Yami a little further ahead than Bakura and Ryou. They looked into each other's eyes, both Bakura and Yami leaning down to kiss Ryou and Yugi, before Yugi glanced to the side and gasped. Reaching over and yanking on Ryou's wrist, ignoring the yelp that he gave when he was pulled out of the trance, Yugi ran forward, laughing. "Look, Ryou-kun! We made it to the Nile!"

Bakura groaned at how close he was to a kiss and looked at Yami, knowing he was feeling the same way. They followed their loves out of the bushes and onto the dark sand that surrounded the Nile.

Once Yugi got over his initial happiness at making it to the Nile, his smile faded at remembering the last time he had been to the river. He shivered and ignored the concerned look from Ryou before turning to Yami. "Ok, so which way do we go," Yugi blushed, "Yami-chan."

Yami smirked and pointed to the river. "The Nile runs north, so all we need to do is walk in the opposite direction of the current. Then, when we reach Lake Nasser, we just have to walk around it and when it turns back into the Nile, we're in Ethiopia.

Ryou shrugged and stretched up to the sky. "Sounds easy enough to me. How about we sleep here for the night and then start in the morning?"

Bakura grunted and wrapped his arm around Ryou, making the boy blush. "I don't think so, Ryou, I think we need to walk at night. Not only is it cooler, but it will also be harder for anyone to spot us."

Yugi nodded his head. "As long as we stay away from the bushes." He slapped his arm and brushed away the bug he squashed there. "These mosquitos are killing me."

Ryou laughed and walked out of Bakura's grip to hold Yugi's hand as they all started forward, walking down the river. "The mosquitos always liked you, Yugi, blame your sweetness."

Yugi rolled his eyes as Yami and Ryou laughed and Bakura snorted. "Yeah, well, when you are covered in bites, don't come running to me."

* * *

Ryou lazily rubbed his eye and leaned against a tree trunk rubbing his sore feet as he watched the sun come up. "We did it, Yugi. We walked the entire night."

Yugi yawned and nodded his head, curling into Yami, who was lying on the ground a few feet from Ryou. "What do you think about being free again, Yugi?"

He turned to face Ryou, blushing as Yami wrapped an arm around his stomach from behind. Yugi looked at Ryou, who was staring at Bakura, who was sitting against a tree next to him. "I can't wait for it. Maybe I'll make instruments. Or perform." He yawned. "Either way…I'll be…" Yugi let his head fall to the ground and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. "happy…"

Ryou sighed and watched as Yami fell asleep with Yugi, and gained an amused smile when Yugi turned back around in his sleep and buried his face in Yami's chest. He let his head fall against the tree as he watched the day slowly grow brighter. Suddenly, Ryou heard an exasperated sigh and a grunt, before a body plopped down next to his.

Ryou tried to hide his smug smile and let his eyes slide close, shifting to the side so that he was leaning against Bakura and his head rested on his shoulder.

* * *

**SW: Ok. I know. That chapter was a bit of a filler.**

**Yami: We learned Japanese?**

**SW: Some. What? I had to have you do **_**something**_** to get you on your journey.**

**Yugi: I've read the outline-**

**Bakura: *cough* There is none *cough***

**Yugi: *completely ignores* -and SoWhatever promises the next chapter will pick up a little bit in action.**

**Review please?**

**P.S. All the geography info I used I found online, and I know today the Sudan separates Egypt and Ethiopia, but that wasn't how it was back in the day as I'm told. Sorry if I did anything incorrectly!**

**Oh! And I won't be able to update this Sunday because I'm going CAMPING! Whoo! Anyways, see you all again next week!**


	14. Mind Links

**SW: Hey all!**

**Ryou: SoWhatever wants to thank you for sticking around with her even though she's missed her update days twice.**

**Marik: I would've sent her to the shadow realm.**

**Malik: MARIK!**

**Marik: *shrugs* I would have. *grumbles* But you won't let me.**

**SW: Well I feel safe.**

**Thank you to snow-kim (I'm glad you liked Doctor Hawkins! They won't be reborn in the near future, but I'm not saying they won't be reborn at all ;)), IlluminatedWord (I'm so glad you liked it! I was a little nervous with the whole chapter, but I'm happy you thought it was cute! :D), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Yeah :D, and considering what I'm planning for this chapter, there won't be any kisses for a while), Sweetbunny93 (I plan to! Thank you!), and RowenaBasizaki (Yep! They escaped! But I think that they just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire) for reviewing!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Yugi, come on, wake up." The boy grumbled and swatted at the hand that was shaking him.

"**Not now, Malik-kun. I'm sleeping.**" Yugi curled up into himself, wondering why he didn't have a blanket.

Ryou giggled behind his hand as he watched Yami try and wake up his brother. The man threw up his arms, giving up, and looked over at him. "What did he say?"

The boy smiled. "He thinks you're our older brother, Malik. He had a tendency to wake us up at abnormal times. He could never get Yugi to wake up though, he could sleep through a stampede."

Bakura grunted and flung a rock into the Nile. "Is there any way to get him up? We need to get moving."

Ryou frowned and shifted. "There's a way, but it's kind of mean and I'm not entirely sure-"

"Do it!"

He licked his lips and nodded, moving over to sit by Yugi. "**Nii-san, Jii-chan is going to tell us a story.**"

"**WHAT?**" Yugi flew up into a sitting position, looking around franticly for his grandfather. He slowly came around, recognizing where he was. Tears gathered in his eyes when he remembered Grandpa would never tell another story. He looked down at the ground and mumbled. "That wasn't nice, Ryou."

Ryou moved his hands in an apologizing manner, speaking rapidly so that Yugi wouldn't stay mad at him. "I'm sorry! It's just you weren't waking up and we have to start moving and that was the only way we could ever get you up back home and-"

Yugi smiled lightly, understanding where Ryou was coming from. He sighed and stood up. "It's okay, Ryou. You don't have to apologize." He started walking, his arms wrapped around his stomach. He looked back at everyone standing still. "You coming?"

Ryou nodded and stood up to walk, watching quietly as Yugi continued on in front of the group, distancing himself. "I knew I shouldn't have done that. Now he's mad at me."

Yami almost ran forward, but it looked like Yugi wanted to be alone. "What did you tell him?"

"Yugi used to love it when our grandfather told us stories. The music, the drama, everything." Ryou sighed. "I told him that Jii-chan was telling one now, and it got him up, but Jii-chan is dead and Yugi remembered that. Plus, it probably doesn't help that" Ryou glanced over to judge Yami's reaction, wondering how much Yugi told him, "Atem was a drummer and always played when Jii-chan told his stories."

Yami scowled at the name, knowing it held some meaning to Yugi but having no idea who the man was. "Atem was…?"

Ryou bit his lip, trying to decide if he should be the one telling Yami this. But he had a right to know. "Yugi's fiancé. He was the prince and the newly crowned chief before he was murdered."

The man sucked in a breath, how was he supposed to compete with _that_? A damn _prince_? Yami sighed and mumbled his thanks before running forward, catching up to Yugi and leaving Ryou and Bakura behind.

Bakura waited a few moments after Yami left before he wrapped an arm around Ryou, he snorted. "I don't understand what Yami is so scared about. That man is dead and Yugi needs to forget about him."

Though the words stung because Ryou was in the same type of situation, he let out a small giggle. "I seem to recall you having a similar reaction when I told you about Akefia."

Bakura stiffened and his grip around Ryou's waist tightened. "Yeah, well, I don't need to worry about him anymore, right?"

Ryou smiled a little and though it hurt his heart to know he would have to let go of Akefia, he was glad it was because of new love. "Right." He only hoped Akefia would forgive him.

* * *

Yugi held back a sigh when he heard Yami catch up with him. He didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Sure, he knew he might be acting a little petty, but Ryou had brought up unwanted memories. Not only would he never hear Grandpa tell a story, but Atem-

"Hey, Yugi."

Yugi licked his lips and didn't look up from the ground. "Yes, Yami?"

"Do you think we could try something? Mahad…" Yami had to take a deep breath at the mention of the man who was murdered before his family, "Mahad taught me a trick with the shadow magic that he was planning on using with Isis. Do you want to?"

Yugi's eyes looked up at Yami's at the mention of magic. "What will it do?"

Yami smirked, knowing just how to reel the boy in. "It's a surprise. I promise it won't hurt."

The boy pouted at not knowing the secret, but nodded his head, stopping and glancing back towards where Bakura and Ryou were talking. Yami placed his hands on either side of Yugi's forehead and the boy could see shadows growing in the corner of his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a short squeak of shock when the darkness covered his vision.

It faded after a moment and Yami was looking down at the boy with a smile. Ryou and Bakura had caught up to them and were staring at them in confusion.

/Yugi?/

Yugi screamed and fell backwards, landing on his butt. He had just heard Yami _speak _in his mind! What was going on?

/It's alright, Yugi. The spell worked./

Ryou bent over a wide-eyed Yugi and grabbed his arm to help him up. "Are you all right, Nii-san?" As if sensing Bakura's confusion, he called over his shoulder. "Nii-san means brother."

Yami laughed at Yugi's expression. "He's alright. I just did a little shadow magic to make us have a mind link."

Yugi swallowed harshly. "Mind link?" At the same time, Bakura spoke up. "Shadow magic?"

/Yes, Yugi./ Yami let a small smirk grace his face as Yugi screamed again and pulled Ryou down with him when he fell back to the ground. "Shadow magic is something that a friend of ours taught me to use. He said you had to be born with it." He held out his hand, palm up, and called the shadows to gather there.

Bakura grunted in surprise and reached his hand out to the shadows, ignoring Yami's protest as he watched them leave Yami's hand to swarm his. Suddenly, the shadows grew in size and leapt off his hands. Bakura felt a tug in his chest and his vision clouded in darkness before a figure appeared next to him.

Ryou screamed as Bakura was enveloped in shadows, and gasped in shock as they jumped off his skin and formed a shadowy form next to him. The boy scrambled off the ground and ran forward to Bakura, who was staring at the shadows with a dazed look. The shadows faded and left behind a green monster.

The smaller of the pale-haired boys swallowed harshly and hesitantly took a step backwards. The monster, and that's all Ryou could think to call it, had green scales all over its body and horns on its head. Its two blades that it had for hands were clicking against each other and it razor-blade sharp teeth were in perfect view as the monster opened its mouth in a roar.

Yugi screamed and ran behind Yami, who was staring at Bakura in shock. Ryou whimpered and tugged on Bakura's arm to try and get him to move, but the man refused to budge. "Man-eater Bug…" Bakura mumbled, staring at the monster in awe.

"Wh-what? Bakura, come on. Get away from that thing."

Yami let out a laugh. "It won't hurt you, Ryou, not unless Bakura orders it."

The beast closed his mouth and lowered its head, and Bakura reached out his hand to lightly place it in between its horns. "Your name is Man-eater Bug…" Ryou shivered lightly at the distant tone and looked at Yami for help.

"It's alright, Ryou. I was the same way when I first met my Ka monster, the Dark Magician." Yami smirked. "I never thought that Bakura would have shadow magic."

Bakura jerked out of the small trance seeing the monster had put him in. He glared at Yami. "What's _that _supposed to mean?" The Man-eater Bug dissolved, the shadows fading into the night.

Yami's smirk widened. "Oh, nothing. Just that since I'm more experienced than you in shadow magic, you have to listen to me if you want to learn any new tricks."

"Bullshit!" Bakura growled and looked down at Ryou, who was staring at him with wide eyes. He scowled and placed his hands on Ryou's forehead. Ignoring Yami's protests, Bakura narrowed his eyes in concentration and tried to feel that tug he had felt before.

Ryou's eyes were covered in shadows and he whimpered in fright, but knew Bakura wouldn't let anything happen to him. When they cleared, Yami was yelling at Bakura and Yugi was waving a hand in front of his face. Ryou blinked and looked at his older brother. "Why are you doing that?"

"Oh thank goodness!" Yugi jumped forward and launched himself at Ryou's waist, sending them to the ground. "You were out of it for a good five minutes! I was so worried."

Ryou tilted his head in confusion and looked up at Bakura, who was still arguing with Yami. "But it only felt like a second."

/Ryou?/ Bakura stopped talking and turned to Ryou, but his mouth never moved. Ryou's mouth went dry and he was glad he was already on the ground, because he was sure there was no way that he would have remained standing.

Taking a chance, remembering what Yami had said about a mind link and hoping he hadn't gone crazy, Ryou tried to answer. \\Y-yes?\\

Bakura gave a cry of victory and turned to smugly smile at Yami. "See? It worked."

Yami crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Yes, but you could have easily hurt him, you're inexperienced and you shouldn't have tried to do something you don't understand."

Ryou took a deep breath and stood up with Yugi. "Maybe we should get moving again?" He brushed off the back of his shenti and walked over to Bakura, looking up at him with a small smile. \\This is going to take some getting used to\\

Bakura jerked in shock as if he had forgotten about the link before smirking. /Yeah, it is./ Bakura nodded and started to walk forward, hitting Yami on the head as he passed him. The man cackled as Yami started to yell after him but was stopped by Yugi scolding him.

* * *

Ryou yawned as they sat down to rest for another day. Yugi was staring at the music sheet, and seemed to be miles away. Bakura was playing with the shadows, summoning mini monsters to fight each other while Yami watched over him, pretending that he wasn't.

Suddenly, Yugi dropped the paper and looked across at the Nile. Ryou's brow furrowed and reached over to pick up the paper carefully. "Yugi-kun, are you-" He stopped when he saw the blank stare Yugi had and a strange, green, glowing circle on his forehead. "Y-Yami, I think something is wrong with Yugi."

Yami's head whipped around to Yugi as the boy stood and started to walk in the direction they had come from. Yami stepped in front of the boy, stopping him, and gripped his chin to make Yugi look him in the eye. He growled at the sight of red-tinted amethyst and wondered why Yugi would be reacting to the Orichalcos now. /Yugi?/

Yugi's eyes shifted to look over Yami's shoulder, where a cloud of dust came into view. "Master's coming."

* * *

**SW: Cliffie!**

**Yami: I hate you.**

**SW: It seems like everyone has at some point in this story.**

**Malik: I've hated you for the whole thing!  
SW: Ehem, yes, well…**

**Review!**


	15. Dartz and Sand

**SW: My inspiration has increased! I have big plans for this story!**

**Bakura: Oh, great.**

**Ryou: Stop it, Bakura. They could be good plans.**

**Thank you to RowenaBasizaki (Yeah…Dartz…And I choose Man-eater Bug because Diabound is Akefia's Ka and I plan on using him later [Squee! Spoiler! Hehe you'll find out at the end] so I went with the monster he summoned in episode 37 at Pegasus' castle), snow-kim (Haha! Yeah don't worry Dartz will get what's coming to him eventually), IlluminatedWord (Aheh, yeah, the Orichalcos again. And yep Bakura can be pretty impulsive Bakura: Shut up!), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Hehe glad you liked that part), and samaurai (I know right?) for reviewing!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Yami looked behind him and saw the cloud of dust that was quickly growing larger. "Run!" He yelled to Bakura and Ryou before taking Yugi's hand and sending him a jolt of shadow magic that knocked him out of his trance. Yami started to run, slowing only for the food bag that Ryou and Bakura had left behind.

Yami took off after the two albinos ahead of him, the bags they carried holding the papers and water, catching up quickly when Ryou slowed down and Bakura went with him.

"Ryou! Are you okay?" Yugi shook away the headache he had to pass Yami and run next to Ryou.

The boy looked at his brother with half-lidded eyes, his breath coming in pants. "Just fine…Who's…behind us?"

Bakura scowled and looked over at Yami. "Yeah, who is this?"

"It's Dartz. My old master." Yugi frowned and looked ahead, running as fast as he could and trying to ignore the sound of approaching hoofs.

"Yugi!" The sound of an unfortunately familiar voice called forward and the boy stumbled, a green circle flickering on his forehead. Yami kept his hold on Yugi's hand and pulled the boy to keep going. "Come to me, my gift!" Yugi stumbled again and Yami sent up a burst of shadow magic again, hoping it would keep the Orichalcos from affecting the boy.

Bakura heard the hoof beats get closer and saw a fallen palm tree across the Nile. "Ryou! Come on!" Grabbing Ryou's elbow, he pulled him to the log, hoping Yami would catch on. He saw that, although the ground near the Nile was a lush brown, there were no trees on the side of the Nile he was heading to. Bakura knew that the horse couldn't cross the log and they could hide in the dunes near the Nile until the man gave up and left. Not stopping to make sure that Yami was following, he helped Ryou off the log and dropped his bag next to the log, making Ryou abandon his as well. He ran into the desert, not noticing the enormous, billowing cloud of sand that was coming from the right.

Yami did catch on to Bakura's plan. But he knew that it wasn't Bakura and Ryou that Dartz was chasing, it was Yugi. Hoping that the two wouldn't wander too far into the desert and would stay safe, Yami pulled Yugi into the line of trees that were on their side of the river. He pushed Yugi down into the bushes, throwing the food bag down next to him, and held him there for a minute. "I want you to stay down and don't move until I come back for you, okay?"

Yugi swallowed and nodded his head, looking up into Yami's determined eyes. "What are you going to do?"

Yami smirked, his eyes glinting in the sun. "I'm going to challenge him to a game."

* * *

Ryou coughed and squinted through the sand and wind, trying to find Bakura. His breath was making wheezing noises and every moment had more sand entering every crevice in his body, but he pushed on.

They had wandered into a sandstorm and had lost each other. Ryou was panicking and the tightness in his chest was starting to hurt. "Bakura!" Ryou coughed as sand found its way into his mouth. He put an arm in front of his face and kept walking, wincing as sand pelted against his skin. "Baku-" He fell to his knees as his chest constricted, making it impossible for him to breath.

\\Bakura!\\ He called out one more time, struggling against the asthma attack he could feel coming. His body shook as he struggled to take a breath, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, and Ryou fell to the side, no longer caring that the sand had made its way to his mouth, he only wanted to breathe.

Ryou's body jerked and shook with the attack, he knew it was a bad one. /Ryou!/ He heard something in his mind, someone calling him, but he couldn't focus on that, he needed to figure out how to breathe. He couldn't die here! Not when he was so close to freedom!

The boy opened his eyes wildly to stare at the brown ones in front of him through the storm. He needed to breathe_ now_. Darkness filled his vision and he heard someone swear. His throat constricted and let his eyes closed. At least he got to see Bakura one last time before he…

* * *

Yami chuckled as he watched the pampered Dartz pick his way through the forest. "Having some trouble there?"

Dartz growled and turned to the voice. "You!" He made his way over to Yami, stopping short and frowning when he saw the Orichalcos wasn't affecting him. "Why aren't you affected?"

"How about we play a game?" Yami smirked as the man growled at being ignored. "A shadow game specifically." He let the shadows surround them, but his eyes widened in shock when they failed to wrap around Dartz.

It was the man's turn to smirk. "I see. You are using shadow magic, is it? Well, believe me when I say that it works both ways, yours doesn't affect me and mine doesn't affect you."

Yami's eye twitched and he recalled the shadows, settling for summoning Dark Magician instead. Dartz glared at the purple-clad monster and yelled out for a monster of his own. "Orichalcos Shunoros!"

As soon as it was summoned, Yami ordered Dark Magician to attack and the two monsters clashed. Watching the battle, Yami didn't notice Dartz inch closer. "Die!" Yami turned and grunted in shock as a body launched itself at him. He landed roughly on the ground and reached up quickly to grab the wrist that was about to lower itself to his chest, a knife in hand. Dartz glared at Yami as he tried to force down his hand, but the smaller man would not budge.

Yami winced as Dark Magician was thrown against a tree and the knife inched closer to his body.

Seeing the man weaken, Dartz smirked. "Did you honestly think you could win? Against an experienced magic user? You have no chance." Yami panted as the Dark Magician was thrown back yet again and his hand shook with the struggle to keep the knife away. "Yugi will be mine. And I'll be happy to be rid of-" Dartz' eyes widened in shock and he coughed, blood splattering on Yami's face.

Wrinkling his eyes in disgust, he squirmed and tried to get out from under the man, but he collapsed, pining Yami to the ground. "Yami!" Hearing a familiar voice, Yami pushed up, and shoved the dead body off of him and to the side.

"Yugi!" He stood up, watching as Orichalcos Shunoros faded and Yugi came running from the brush, holding a green bow. The poor boy was shaking and he didn't stop until his arms were around Yami, the bow discarded on the ground.

Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi and looked over at Dartz, his mouth dropping when he saw an arrow coming out of his back. Quickly connecting the dots, he glanced down at the sobbing boy gripping onto him, reaching one hand up to wipe the blood off of his face. "Yugi…"

"I know you told me to stay, but I couldn't! I ran cause I was scared and I found Dartz' horse and I saw his bow and I took it! I don't know why, I just did! And then I ran again and I saw Dark Magician and I saw you-" Yugi's body shook. "I was so scared and I didn't know what I would do if I lost you and I-I-I"

"Yugi." Yami gently took hold of Yugi's shoulders and watched as teary eyes met his. "Thank you." Yugi sobbed and launched himself at Yami's chest again, mumbling incoherently and shaking harshly. Yami stared down at the boy, running his hand through his hair.

He dismissed Dark Magician and the man faded into shadows. Yami scooped up Yugi and held him close to his chest, leaving the body behind him. "Yugi, I'm not going to say that I wished you didn't do it. I don't think I would be alive if I did." Yami stared forward as Yugi looked up at him with wide eyes. "But I am going to say that I wish you hadn't needed to." It was then that he met Yugi's eyes, and the watery violet made him wish that all this had never happened to Yugi, that he could still be enjoying his childhood in Japan, even if Yami would never meet him.

"Thank you, Yami." Was Yugi's whispered response and the man smiled grimly.

They reached the river and Yami saw the horse had disappeared, probably a summoning from Dartz. Yami placed Yugi on the ground to wash the rest of Dartz' blood of his face and hand, and when he tuned back the boy was standing shakily and staring at the ground. Yami picked up the bag of food Yugi must have dropped when he grabbed the bow and looked around.

"Yami?" The man looked up to worried amethyst. "Where are Ryou and Bakura?"

Yami looked around and saw the log a few feet behind them. "They crossed over there. I led us away from them so they would be-" A strong gust of wind killed the last word, 'safe', that Yami was about to say and he looked into the desert.

Swearing under his breath, he took Yugi's hand and pulled Yugi back to the tree line. "I think they got stuck in a sandstorm. I have no idea how safe they'll be now." He sat down against a tree, hoping the cloud of sand that Yami could see across the river would not come any closer.

Yugi whimpered and sat down next to Yami, cuddling close and looking at the sand cloud that might hold his brother. "I hope they're alright…" Suddenly, the boy gasped and held his head, squirming as he felt something break in his mind.

Yami watched in concern as the Orichalcos circle reappeared on Yugi's head, before shattering and disappearing for the last time. Yugi screamed in pain as memories came rushing back, remembering exactly what Dartz had forced him to do when he was under his spell.

Yami jerked and wrapped his arms around Yugi, hugging him close when the boy dissolved into tears. "I-I remember everything. I used to have flashes of him kissing me, but he did so much more, Yami. He did so much more." The boy shook and Yami rubbed his back, his face showing his anger. The man was lucky to already be dead, or Yami would've made him suffer beyond his scariest nightmares.

"He touched me, Yami. He made me touch him. He-He took…He took my…"

"Sh, Yugi, sh. You don't need to tell me." Yami gently consoled the boy, knowing what he was trying to say.

Yugi looked up, tears flowing freely down his face. "You aren't mad? I'm not clean." The boy looked down and Yami stared in shock as Yugi continued to bring himself down. "I'm tainted. Someone else took me and not once, but a lot. And I let-"

Yami brought Yugi's chin up with a hand. "Stop." His voice was stern and he sighed as Yugi winced a little. "You did not let him. He forced you and I could never blame you for that. I love you, Yugi." Ignoring the resulting gasp and blush from the boy below him, he continued. "Nothing could change that. Nothing. I love you, and something like that wouldn't change my mind."

Yugi smiled a little and buried his face in Yami's chest to hide his blush. "I love you too." Yugi mumbled into Yami's chest.

The man smirked, he had understood it completely, but decided to tease his little love. "What was that, Yugi? I didn't quite hear you."

Yugi looked up at Yami, blushing when he realized how close their faces had gotten. "I love you too." Yugi bit his lip and tried to from looking at Yami's lips, the very kissable lips that were pulled into a very sexy smirk.

/You think loudly, Little One./ Yugi blushed deeper and looked into Yami's eyes, remembering the shadow magic used that had made a link between their minds.

\I-I do? Am I doing this right? Can you hear me?\ Yami's smirk widened at the response and nodded his head. /Yes, I can hear you, Yugi./ Yami leaned in forward and Yugi's eyes widened as Yami brought their lips together for their second kiss.

Yugi's breath hitched and he let his eyes flutter close as Yami tightened the grip around his waist. Yami slid his open hand around Yugi's neck and changed the angle of the kiss. He opened his mouth slightly and licked at Yugi's lips, his eyes flashing in pleasure as the boy opened them in answer.

The two tangled their tongues together and they pushed against one another, and Yugi let his hands wander over Yami's chest. The man growled and pushed Yugi to lay on his back, straddling the boy on the ground and intensifying the kiss.

Yugi gasped and broke the kiss, staring in fright at the panting man above him, wondering how far Yami wanted to go. Seeing the fright in the eyes below him, Yami sighed and slid off of Yugi. "We don't have to go any farther than you want, Yugi. I'll wait."

Yugi smiled and wrapped Yami in a soft hug. "I'm sorry, Yami, but thank you."

* * *

Bakura grunted and fell into the cave, thanking every god that he had found it. Ignoring the whistling wind behind him, he gently placed Ryou on the floor of the cave. He wiped away the sand that had been trapped in his eyelashes and on the corners of his mouth.

He placed his ear against Ryou's chest, sighing in relief at the light flutter he heard. He lifted his head and placed the back of his hand over Ryou's mouth, smiling when he felt the calm, deep breathing that meant Ryou was just asleep.

He sat back against the wall, thinking back to the terrifying moment when he had thought that Ryou was dead.

_/Ryou?/ The boy didn't respond, his body limp against the sand. Bakura knelt next to the boy and pressed a finger to his neck, waiting to feel the life-giving pulse that should have been there._

_A moment passed and Bakura swore in his mind when the vein refused to jump under his finger. He didn't want to risk opening his mouth in the middle of a sand storm, so he called out again in his mouth. /Ryou?/ No answer._

_He lifted the boy into a sitting position and thumped on his back, hoping to kickstart the boy's heart. The boy jerked against Bakura's fist and his eyes fluttered, which Bakura took as a good sign._

_Ryou suddenly coughed and breathed in deep before falling limp again. Bakura put his finger to the unconscious boy's neck, happy to feel a steady beat under it. He lifted and Ryou up bridal style and started to walk, hoping to find some source of shelter for the two of them._

Bakura rested his head on the wall and closed his eyes, allowing himself to get a few hours of sleep to let the storm pass.

* * *

**SW: I almost left you with a cliffie!  
Ryou: I knew you wouldn't have let me die!  
Bakura: She values her life. Of course she wouldn't let you die.**

**SW: *gulp***

**Yugi: Did-Did I really kill someone?  
Yami: At least it was someone who deserved it.**

**SW: Yeah! Death to all those who go against my favorite characters!  
Review please!**


	16. Oasis Siren

**SW: Holy crap!**

**Bakura: What?  
SW: I might not be able to post anymore!**

**Ryou: WHY?!  
SW: My 'rents and I are Catholic (I think I've said that before) and I slipped up big time! I even had to change my profile to make sure that they don't figure out it's me…I'm so worried!**

**Thank you to snow-kim (Well, I mean except for Gozaburo and Pegasus I did kinda kill anyone who seriously hurt them, oh yeah and the slavers…maybe I should retract my statement huh? Whoops), samaurai (Yeah, right? No more Dartz!), IlluminatedWord (I'm glad you liked it! I give you full liberty to kill Dartz as many times as you want!), anime-fangirl-1200 (I highly doubt anyone could come back from in arrow in the back, I'm glad you like it!), and Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Ryou isn't dead! Haha I hope you like this chapter!) for reviewing!**

**Please enjoy! (I apologize that I skip scenes a lot in this chapter)**

* * *

Yugi woke up gently to a light shaking on his shoulder. He mumbled, his mind working the fog that sleep had put over his brain. He was curled up to something really warm and he definitely didn't want to move. As he became more aware, he felt the soft rising and falling of the chest below him. He smiled and snuggled up closer, not listening to the frustrated sigh that came from Yami.

"Yugi, come on. I know you're up. We need to get moving."

Yugi's mind was riding on a cloud of bliss and he didn't want to open his eyes. "I'm asleep. Leave me alone."

"Yugi. We need to find Ryou and Bakura."

* * *

Bakura woke up before Ryou did. He stood up slowly, detaching the arm that had found its way around his waist and stretching. He looked outside the cave and his mouth dropped in shock. Outside the little cave they took shelter in, was a beautiful oasis.

Large green palm trees surrounded a crystal blue lake, the shimmering surface glistening in the sun. There were large purple and white flowers blooming out of bushes and as Bakura slowly stepped out, a soft wind came over the desert making the flowers sway.

Looking behind him to make sure Ryou was still sleeping he walked up to the lake and bent down, placing his hands in the water to bring some up to his mouth. He didn't notice that the middle of the lake rippled and a head of black hair pulled back into a ponytail rose to the surface, green eyes staring amusedly at Bakura.

After quenching his thirst, Bakura splashed his face with the water and stood up, scowling when he saw a man standing in the middle of the lake. "Who are you?"

The man smirked and twirled a stray piece of hair, which hung in front of his red and black headband, around a finger, slowly walking towards Bakura. "My name is Duke, nice to meetcha. Might I ask what your name is, sexy?" Bakura took a step back as the man reached the edge of the lake and stopped, staring at him with half-lidded eyes.

"No you can't. What the hell do you want?" Bakura crossed his arms and glared, watching as Duke faltered, his eyes showing confusion.

The black-haired man pouted and the lake rippled as his mood changed. "Why aren't you coming into the lake? No one has resisted me before…" He snapped his fingers and smiled as he figured it out. "I know! You're in love!"

"The fuck?" Bakura watched with wariness as the man clapped his hands in happiness before smirking at Bakura and placing a hand on his hips.

"Silly, sexy man. You're in love, so my siren skills don't work on you when I look like this. But don't worry, I have a solution to that." He blinked once and water rose up to surround him, blocking Bakura's view of him.

"Hey! Where'd you go?" The water fell back into the lake and Bakura's eyes widened.

"What do you mean, Bakura-chan? I never left." Staring at Bakura with a happy glint in his eyes…was Ryou.

* * *

Yugi sighed and wiped his face, looking longingly back at the Nile, the cool water tempting him to turn from the roasting desert and head back. He readjusted the bag of water on his shoulder and looked ahead towards where Yami had just disappeared behind a dune.

"Ryou! **Otouto-san**! Where are you?" Yugi yelled out, his worry increasing by the moment. Both he and Yami had agreed they would stay in sight of the Nile, but that greatly narrowed their search range.

"Bakura, damn it, answer me!" Yami and Yugi looked at each other in worry, there was no sign of the two white-haired boys.

Yugi took a deep breath, trying to keep calm and hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. They _had _to find Ryou.

* * *

"R-Ryou?" Bakura looked back at the cave, but the darkened hole failed to show if Ryou was in the cave or in front of him.

The Ryou in front of him tilted his head cutely to the side and blinked his shining brown eyes. "Yes, Bakura-chan?" He stepped out of the lake and walked slowly up to Bakura, taking in how Bakura's eyes traveled up and down his body, the thin shenti he was wearing not hiding much. "Is something wrong?" A trail of water followed behind him, the lake not wanting to let go of Ryou yet.

Bakura swallowed roughly when Ryou pressed his body against him. "Nothing's wrong, Ryou. I'm just confused."

"Is it something I did? I'm sorry." Ryou stepped back and looked down, his white bangs covering his face, and the smirk that was on it.

The taller albino unconsciously takes a step forward, flinching when Ryou took another one back. He took another, larger step, not noticing the water now lapping at his ankles. "Ryou, please don't be mad at me, I didn't mean anything about it, it was just there was this man and-" Bakura almost falls backwards as Ryou presses his lips to his and a fog covers his brain. Ra, this kiss was amazing. Ryou pulled back slowly, just far enough that the lips weren't touching anymore.

Bakura stared at Ryou with half-lidded eyes and took a step forward, trying to press in for another kiss. Ryou took another step back and licked his lips, his tongue brushing across Bakura's opened lips. Bakura's breathing quickened and he followed as Ryou took one more step back, now knee deep in water. Ryou was like ambrosia, he needed more.

Ryou harshly gripped Bakura's arms, but the man didn't notice as long, green-colored and webbed claws replaced Ryou's fingers. Bakura stared into Ryou's eyes, smiling as the boy did, the cloud in his mind not registering the fanged teeth that showed through the smile.

"NO!" Bakura fell backwards, landing on his butt in the water as someone launched themselves at Ryou, sending both of them into the lake.

Ryou held his breath and stared into the green eyes of the man under him. He wasn't sure what Bakura had gotten himself into, but he wasn't going to let some guy take _his _Bakura.

Thinking his point was made, Ryou tried to sit up. They hadn't gone too deep, so he thought would be able to touch here. When he failed to hit the bottom of the lake, he looked up and saw he was staring at few feet of water between him and the surface.

He put his hands up to try and swim back up, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. Feeling his lungs start to burn from the lack of air, Ryou yanked on his wrist and looked down to see a smirking face. Ryou gasped as he saw the pointed teeth in that smile and accidently let go of some of his air.

Using the hand not being held, Ryou pushed against the body under him, kicking and squirming in the water to try and get to the surface. The siren just smiled wider and Ryou felt a piece of seaweed attach around his ankle. Ryou put his hands over his mouth to stop from screaming, trying to keep in the last breath of air in his lungs. He yanked at his foot and watched as the siren crossed his arms and leaned back in the water, calmly waiting for Ryou to drown.

There was a splash at the surface of the lake and Ryou saw Bakura diving in. The man launched himself through the water, colliding with Duke. He tightened his grip on a sharpened rock he found on the shore and stabbed at the squirming siren.

Ryou moved his hands from his mouth to his ears as a deafening screech rippled through the water. Bakura kicked backwards and watched as Duke curled in on himself, holding the now bleeding wound on his stomach. The man glared at Bakura and swam away, disappearing into the lake to heal.

Bakura turned around and swam over to Ryou, his oxygen slowly running out. He sliced the seaweed holding Ryou down and grabbed his elbow, pulling him towards the surface.

Ryou gasped and spluttered as he breathed in much needed air, and let Bakura tow him to the edge of the lake. He crawled onto shore and fell on his back on the ground, making sure no part of his body was touching the lake.

Bakura collapsed next to him, breathing heavily. "Well…that was interesting." Ryou didn't know if was the adrenaline or if he finally cracked, but he started laughing hysterically. It wasn't long until Bakura joined in and soon the two were laughing side-by-side.

When Ryou finally calmed down he sighed heavily, grinning like a bobcat. "I can't wait to tell…" He jolted up and gasped, looking down at the smiling Bakura. "Yugi! Where is he? And Yami! What happened to them?"

The grin faded from Bakura's face and the man swore, standing up and wringing out the water in his shenti. "I didn't see them behind us when we reached the desert, maybe that Dartz guy caught up to them."

Ryou joined Bakura in getting as much water as they could out of their clothes. "Don't say that Bakura! We have to find them!"

* * *

"We have to find them! We can't just leave them out there!" Yugi frowned at Yami, who was glaring at the desert.

"You think I don't know that, Yugi?" Yami sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Bakura and I were close before my indenture was bought." He smiled at the memories. "We used to raise all kinds of hell before we went our separate ways." The man sighed and looked back at the desert. "He got adopted, even though he had no wish to be, and I got the chance to work off my parent's debt." He threw his hands up in exasperation and looked back at Yugi. "I don't know what you want me to do. We can't risk getting lost in the desert too, it wouldn't help any of us."

Yugi felt the tears from before come back full force. He was the worst big brother _ever_. He had lost Ryou…again. If only Malik were here, he'd know what to do. Yugi fell to his knees. Or Atem, or Jii-chan, or Akefia, or Joey…or anyone! Why did he have to lose all the people he loves?

"Yugi?" The boy looked up to see Yami staring back at him. "I know it isn't easy, but we have to keep moving. The longer we stay still, the more likely someone will find us."

Yugi nodded and started to stand up. "Yugi!" Hearing someone call him from the distance, Yugi turned to the desert, scared to get his hopes up.

"Hey, Yami! You better not be thinking about leaving us behind!" Yami's face relaxed into a relief-filled smile as Ryou and Bakura walked down the side of a dune before it turned into a smirk.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, who would carry our bags for us?" As Yugi squealed and launched himself at a laughing Ryou, Yami threw the water bag at Bakura.

The man snorted and hoisted it on his shoulder. "Figures that'd be the only thing you missed me for."

Yugi smiled brightly at his brother and dragged him towards the Nile where they could cross on the log. "C'mon, everyone! Let's get going to Ethiopia!"

Yami smiled and jogged after Yugi, quickly catching up and wrapping his arm around his shoulder. After they crossed the log bridge and started on their way again in the setting sun, Yami looked over at Bakura.

The man nodded at him over Ryou's shoulder, since he had a hand tightly around his waist, and Yami smirked, everyone was back together.

* * *

**SW: Hooray! Another chapter finished!  
Yugi: You finished this at 1 in the morning!...On the day you are updating!  
SW: Yeah…see, I'm on vacation in Rhode Island, so you guys are lucky I hate skipping update days.**

**Ryou: That and she loves reviews!**

**So, review please?**


	17. Lake Nasser

**SW: I love summer vacation...**

**Yugi: Who doesn't?  
Marik: Idiots.**

**SW: True dat.**

**Thank you to RowenaBasizaki (I'm glad you liked it! Thank you!), IlluminatedWord (It's been a few days so I don't think they did ;) I'm really glad you liked the chapter!), snow-kim (With this group? I'm sure that they'll have to stop for **_**some **_**reason. ;) haha), takininja13 (Yeah! They're gonna make some progress!), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (I'm glad you liked Duke! And I think I am ok now, haha, they really are strict with that kinda stuff though…), and samurai (Yeah! I know!) for reviewing!**

* * *

Yugi skipped and laughed alongside his brother as they talked, Bakura and Yami arguing in front of them. They had fallen into a sort of schedule, walking by night and sleeping by day. The four hadn't had any serious trouble since Dartz and Yugi was happy.

Yami and Bakura stopped for them at point where the river widened. Ryou smiled and looked up at Bakura. "What is it?"

Yami grinned and wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders. "Welcome to Lake Nasser, Yugi." Yugi laughed and looked at the lake. They had been running low on water, but now that they were almost to their destination, the four didn't have to worry anymore.

There was a small scream behind them and Yugi turned around to see an unconscious Ryou on the back of a horse and three guards fighting against Bakura. The man had summoned Man-eater Bug, but the Duel Monster had met trouble as the attackers summoned their own monsters.

Yugi whipped back around to find Yami in a similar position. "Run, Yugi!" The boy gulped and turned to run away from the group, but found they were surrounded, cornered against the lake. Dark Magician had been summoned to help Man-eater Bug, and tried to make his way over to the young boy.

Yugi saw Bakura crumple to the ground out of the corner of his eye. He let out a whimper and screamed as two men started to approach him. Seeing his love in trouble, Yami's concentration split and he didn't see the man approaching him from behind. He groaned as he was hit harshly on the back of the neck and fell to the ground, blackness filling his vision.

Seeing he was the only one left standing, Yugi screamed again and blindly threw out a punch. He yelled out in pain as his fist connected with a face and was still holding his hand when another man struck him on the head.

The three on the ground were hoisted onto horses like Ryou and carried off to a house in the woods.

* * *

Yugi groaned as he woke up, his hand throbbing in pain. "Let me out of here! I swear to Ra if I don't get free in the next fucking minute, someone is going to die!"

"Bakura! Calm down! I'm sure they have _some _reason for locking us in here…" Yugi had worked through enough of the fog in his brain to figure out that the last speaker was his brother.

/Yugi? Are you up?/ Yugi licked his dry lips and nodded his head as he sat up, rubbing his eyes open and examining his fist, surprised to not see bruising. \Yeah, where are we?\ He shook out his hand, happy to find that it didn't hurt as much once he relaxed the muscles.

\Locked in a barn.\ Yugi blinked and took in the wooden walls and neighing horses they were surrounded by. They were separated from the barn by a set of metal bars that rose from the ground to the ceiling and Bakura was banging his head against one of them.

"Stop it, Bakura! You're going to hurt yourself!" Ryou put his hands on Bakura's shoulders and pulled him away from the bars.

Bakura sighed and sat down, pulling Ryou down into his lap, making the boy blush. "Sorry, Ryou, I hate being in a cage. They didn't even give us a fucking reason!" Bakura started to get riled up again but a quick kiss from Ryou calmed him down. "I'm sure they had one, they wouldn't lock us in here for no reason…I hope."

* * *

Yugi hummed a small tune, bored out of his mind. Yami and Bakura had already tried their shadow magic on the bars and Yugi was close to resorting to banging his head on the things separating them from freedom like Bakura had. They had been so _close_, just a few more days of travel and they would have made it to Ethiopia.

Grumbling from outside of the bars broke his thoughts and he looked around to see that everyone else either hadn't noticed or was too distracted to care. Standing up from where he had been lying, staring at the ceiling, he looked around, not seeing the source of the noise. Sighing at his shortness, he rose up on his tiptoes and peered over the tops of the horse stalls.

His brow furrowed at the sight of a mop of blonde hair, and he thought it seemed familiar. The hair left the stall and moved into one closer and he caught a glimpse of a very familiar face. He smiled brightly and had to keep from squealing. Yugi laughed and called out to his childhood friend. "**Joey-san! Is that really you?**"

Ryou looked up at the use of Japanese and let a small smile of hope come to his face as there was a yelp of surprise from the horse stall. "Yug'?" A man walked over to the cage and gained a loopy grin. "**I can't believe it! And Ryou! What are you doin' here?**"

Yugi laughed and went over to hug Joey through the bars, Ryou coming up next to him while Yami and Bakura stayed back, confused as to what was happening. "We could ask you the same thing!" Ryou joked, his brown eyes lit up from the sight of his friend.

"Well," Joey gained a blush and the two brothers met eyes. "I was bought by this man, don't know why, and I hated 'im at first, but then I started to get to know 'is brother and he turned out to not be that bad-"

"What about Mai?" Ryou hadn't known Joey was bisexual, but from the way he talked about the man who bought him, it was obvious.

Joey sighed. "I had to move on eventually. Course, Mai, Seren', Shizuka, and everyone will always be remembered by me." He looked over Yugi and Ryou's shoulders at the other two occupants of the cage. "Looks like you guys 'ave moved on too."

Ryou blushed and Yugi shyly nodded his head, and looked back at Yami. Bakura took this as an opportunity to speak up. "As touching as this reunion is, we kind of have a problem here." He gestured to the cage around them. "We're stuck."

The blonde's mouth formed a comical 'o', and Ryou smiled as he realized that Joey had actually forgotten. "Right!" The man jogged over to the barn door, calling over his shoulder. "I'll go get Seto now, I'm sure he won't mind lettin' you out."

The door slammed shut behind him and there was a moment of silence as Ryou and Yugi got over the shock of seeing their friend and Yami and Bakura processed what Joey had just said.

Yami was the first to speak up. "Did he just say Seto?"

The smaller of the albinos nodded his head, but furrowed his brow in confusion as Bakura started to bark out laughter. "So this is where the bastard ended up!...Figures."

Yugi pouted as recognition bloomed in everyone but him. "Am I missing something?"

"Seto was Gozaburo's real son, wasn't he?" Ryou answered Yugi with a question to Bakura, almost positive the man had mentioned a Seto before.

Yami nodded and looked up at the ceiling, smirking at the memories that name brought up. "Yeah, Bakura and I, we used to get into all sorts of trouble and Seto would always bail us out. I wonder how he is now…"

There was an amused chuckle from across the room and everyone looked back at the door to see Joey standing next to a man who had his arm wrapped around his shoulder. "I expected at some point for you to be behind bars, but I never thought they would be _my _bars."

Bakura growled and crossed his arms, hating the amused glint that was in the normally cold blue eyes. "Shut the fuck up and let us out of here, Seto."

"You know them?" Joey looked up in shock as the two made their way to the cage.

"Of course I do, pup. I've told you about Yami and Bakura before, even your memory should be able to recall that." Seto smirked and reached into his pocket to draw out the key.

"What?! My memory is jus' fine, thank you!" There was a pause as Seto pulled the door to the cage open. "And don't call me pup!"

Seto's smirk widened at getting Joey riled up. "I can call you whatever I want…mutt."

"Hey!" Joey would've launched himself at Seto, but Ryou and Yugi rushed forward out of the cage, holding the man back.

Bakura and Yami came out more slowly, stopping in front of Seto and looking him over. Yami put forward a hand while Bakura just snorted. Seto grasped the arm in front of him and the two smiled at each other. "Good to see you, Seto."

"And you, Yami." The smile changed to a smirk as he looked at the albino next to him. "Bakura, on the other hand…"

The man rolled his eyes and turned to the other three in the barn, Joey having tackled Yugi and Ryou to the ground, each of them laughing. "I'd appreciate it if you got off my lover now."

Ryou squeaked and both Yugi and Joey looked at the boy in shock, who rushed out sentences trying to deny what Bakura just said. "What? No…I mean-well, I really wouldn't mind it…but we haven't done anything yet! I swear!"

Bakura's smirk just kept getting wider and he walked over to help Ryou up. He pulled the boy's back against his chest and rested his head on Ryou's shoulder, smirking down at Joey and Yugi. "Yeah, we haven't done anything…yet."

A blush bloomed across Ryou's face and Joey gave a cry of outrage. "If you 'urt my frien', I swea' there won't be anythin' left of you to 'urt 'im."

Yugi giggled as Joey's accent became more pronounced. "You had an accent before, but now it's even worse!"

An amused chuckle called out from behind them. "Trust me, I know."

Joey mumbled under his breath, something about 'damn Egyptians', before he watched Yami and Seto walk over to their group, but still aware of Bakura's arms around Ryou's, just in case the man did something his friend didn't want. "So, are we gonna 'elp them?"

Seto walked over and placed a kiss on the top of Joey's head, ignoring the gag from Bakura. "Yes, we are." The man gave a low whistle and two horses neighed and lifted their heads out of their stalls. "You are heading to Ethiopia, these horses will help you get there faster."

"Thanks, Seto." Yami walked over to the two horses and let them out of their stalls, handing one off to Bakura when he came back to the group. "We really appreciate it."

Bakura grunted and nodded his head. "Hey, how come our shadow magic wouldn't work on your bars?"

"Because they were laced with shadows." Seto smirked and watched as Yami and Yugi hopped onto one horse and Bakura and Ryou on another. "My father is known to be quite persistent. When I discovered I had shadow magic, I made sure all my guards did as well, and all the cages were impossible to escape from."

Joey and Seto walked alongside the horses as they left the barn. "Yeah, 'sides, it's always fun to play pranks on people by lockin' 'em in there."

"That was you?!" Seto looked down at Joey, who had gone wide-eyed and was inching away from the group.

"Whoops, probably shouldn'ta said that, huh?" He yelped as Seto growled at him, and took off towards the house. "I think I hear Mokuba callin' me! Bye, guys! Maybe we can visit sometime!"

Seto sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, looking back at the amused faces of his, dare he say it, friends. "Really though, we aren't that far from Ethiopia. Anytime you want, come and visit, I'm sure Mokuba and Joey would enjoy it. And just send the word whenever you want them to come."

"And how about you, Seto?" Yami smirked down at the man, happy to be able to do that at least once, even if he was on a horse.

The man scowled and turned to start walking back to the house. "I wouldn't mind it either." He didn't call it out, and even though he had put some distance between him and the horses, Seto was sure they heard.

Ryou squealed and wrapped his arms around Bakura as the horse lifted off its front two feet, before following Yami at a small trot. Feeling more than seeing the smirk, Ryou sighed, but didn't move from his position. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

The boy felt Bakura give a small chuckle, but other than that, got no reply.

* * *

**SW: Hey!**

**Yugi: What?**

**SW: I have like one or two chapters left in this!**

**Malik: Finally! Now you can focus on a story where I DON'T DIE!  
SW: Riiiight….**

**Review please?!**


	18. Finale

**SW: Last chapter! There's an important announcement at the end!**

**Ryou: At least the story has a good ending.**

**Yugi: Yeah! *cuddles up to Yami* We found new love, though our old ones will always be in our hearts, it's important to move on with life, because we will always have something to live for.**

**SW: 0.o That sounds like a moral lesson.**

**Ryou: Every story has one.**

**SW: Yeah, but-**

**Marik: Screw morals! Kill everyone! Die die die!**

**Uh…Thank you to snow-kim (Yeah, Seto caught them because he thought they were working for his father, Seto and Mokuba were there because they ran away from Gozaburo, and they are close enough to Ethiopia that they can visit, so they don't have to move. I'm sorry if that was confusing!), samaurai (Yeah! Hooray for puppyshipping!), IlluminatedWord (I don't think I'd be able to put them through **_**another **_**bad situation. Haha, there might actually be a mention of puppyshipping sometime in this chapter so…XD I'm glad you liked the story!), Goshikku Hime wa Yami-san (Don't you just love puppyshipping? Oh no! I would never do that! I love happy endings and I haven't found it in me yet to write a sad one), and RowenaBasizaki (Don't cry! I'm so glad you liked this story! It makes me so happy! ;) I hope you like this chapter!) for reviewing!**

**Phew, those were some long responses. Imma make this chapter longer 'cause it's the last one. Happy reading! Oh yeah, and if you don't like lemons ignore the stuff in between the bold.**

* * *

Yugi giggled happily and leaned against Yami's back. If they had been walking, it would have taken them at least three days to cover the amount of land they did today. The lake was starting to curve away from them, showing that Lake Nasser was getting smaller and was slowly turning into the River Nile.

Bakura pulled forward until his and Yami's horses were equal. Ryou sighed as the two started into an argument about whose horse was stronger and looked at Yugi in exasperation. "They never stop, do they?"

"It would be too boring!" Yugi laughed out. He leaned around Yami to look in front of them. His smile grew bigger when he saw houses. He knew what that meant. A village. And by the looks of it, was beside a river. The Nile.

Ryou caught sight of the village as well and gave a cheer. "We made it!"

They rode into the village untested, and the tenseness in Bakura and Yami relaxed slightly. Ryou and Yugi looked around with wide eyes as they reached the marketplace.

Telling Bakura to stay put, Yami grabbed the bag of money and slid off his horse, leaving the man with Yugi and Ryou to go and see if there was a house they could get. Bakura growled at being ordered around but stayed put, not wanting to leave Ryou alone. Oh yeah, and Yugi.

An hour and two make out sessions between Ryou and Bakura later, Yami strode back up to the horse, a smirk on his face. "We're in luck. A family just moved out of a house on the outskirts of the town, and I got it for a bargain because no one wanted it."

Yugi clapped his hands together and smiled down at Yami, reaching his hand down to him. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

A year later found the four completely settled into their new home.

* * *

Yugi laughed and placed his hands on his hips, looking at the children surrounding him. "Well, what's this?"

"Tell us a story, Yugi!" One of the kids called out. "No, sing us a song!" Another followed and soon the air was filled with opinions of whether Yugi should sing or speak.

Yugi held his hands up in mock surrender and laughed. "Whoa. Slow down everyone. Aren't you supposed to be with Ryou right now?"

There was a unified groan that went through the group. "But nobody wants to go to Teacher right now." The kid who said that jumped up and down in excitement. "We wanna hear the story about the dragon and the cunning king!" A girl gave a sigh and cupped her face dreamily. "And how he found true love with the princess."

Yugi gave a sigh and shook his head. "Sorry, guys, you have to do your lessons."

Another groan came from the gathered group of kids and Yugi gave a small smile. "But hey, tell you what, if you're good with Ryou today, I think I'll have enough time to tell you a story." There was a cheer and the kids all ran off to the building that the village men had built for Ryou to teach the children in. They wanted to prove that they were the best children ever so that Yugi would tell them a story.

Ryou raised an eyebrow as children stampeded into the schoolhouse. It looked like Yugi had made one of his deals again. Smiling politely, he greeted each child by name as they entered and took their spots at wooden desks that the village had provided.

"Good morning, Teacher!" The students all greeted Ryou, and even though they were reluctant to go there in the first place, they were eager to learn their lesson for the day.

Ryou chuckled and started to teach the children the few words he wanted them to learn today, from papyrus he had bought from traveling merchants. Yami and Bakura had taught him and Yugi to read and write hieroglyphics eight months ago, and though he was still learning, it was enough that the village leaders allowed Ryou to be a teacher, considering most of them couldn't read a lick. Ryou smiled brightly as the children slowly caught on, mouthing the words silently as they stared at the pictures on the page in front of them.

When the lesson was over, the children ran from the room, yelling out a thank you before going out to look for Yugi. Bakura jumped to the side as children rushed past him, rolling his eyes and walking into the almost empty schoolroom. He closed the door behind him and moved to the desk at the front of the room.

Ryou had his back to him and was slowly picking up the discarded reeds and papyrus the children had used, and Bakura leaned against the table Ryou taught from. When Ryou turned around, he jolted in surprise as he saw someone in the room with him, but smiled when he recognized who it was. "Hello, Bakura." He walked around the man to place what he had gathered in a drawer in the desk.

Bakura snorted and crossed his arms. "You haven't seen me all day and all I get is a 'Hello, Bakura'? I feel loved."

Ryou giggled and walked over to press a soft kiss on a disgruntled Bakura's cheek. "I love you, Bakura-chan."

The man smirked and turned to Ryou, pulling him into a much deeper kiss. Ryou's breathing hitched and he moaned as he felt warm hands press against his back and pull him closer to Bakura.

When they broke apart for air, Ryou was panting heavily and had a pink blush across his face. Bakura smirked and pressed back on Ryou's shoulders, causing the boy to fall back on the table with a squeak. Bakura followed Ryou, pressing a rough kiss on his lips, and the boy gave a small mewl and splayed his hands across the man's chest.

"Hey, Ryou, the kids are all back at the village. I wondered if you wanted to make-" The door swung open and there came surprised yelp. Bakura growled and looked over his shoulder to see Yugi covering his eyes with his hands, a deep red blush spreading across his face. "I didn't see anything! I swear!" Yugi moved one hand to make sure he wouldn't run into anything behind him, still covering his eyes with the other, and slowly backed out. "I'll make dinner today, see you back at the house!" When he thought he was far enough he uncovered his eyes and turned and sprinted away.

Ryou giggled lightly and pushed Bakura off him, smoothing down his shenti and flattening his mussed hair. "Well that was interesting."

A scowl made its way across Bakura's face and he stood up, the moment ruined. "We're continuing this tonight."

"Sure, sure." It didn't sound at all convincing to Bakura, but he let it slide as Ryou cuddled up to him. He wrapped an arm around the younger's shoulders and guided him out of the room, heading back to the house they shared with Yami and Yugi.

* * *

Yugi tried to push down the blush as he walked back to the house. Why did he always have to walk in at the wrong time? He placed his hands on his cheeks to try and get them to cool down, and didn't notice the person walking next to him until the man spoke up. "Yugi?"

"Yami!" The boy launched himself sideways, tackling Yami to the ground. "You're back!" The man had left to go meet Seto and Joey halfway on their journey to visit, and had been gone for two days.

Yami chuckled and hugged Yugi on the ground. "You knew I would be back today, Yugi." He smiled as the boy snuggled closer.

"I know! I just missed you is all!" The boy looked up as someone called out to him and he laughed, standing up and running from Yami to hug Joey.

"Yug'! It's so good to see ya!" Joey laughed at the face Yami was making as he stood up, the man couldn't pout for the life of him. "How ya been?"

Yugi smiled wide and looked up at his childhood friend. "Great! And you? How's Seto been treating you?"

"Just fine." He looked at the man talking to Yami. "The guy was a little reluctant to leave behind 'is brother, but I think 'e'll enjoy the vacation. 'sides, Mokuba has 'is tutors to look after 'im and we're only stayin' a few days." Noticing the pout Yugi was making, he laughed and wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders pulling him down the path to the house. "Aw, don't be like that Yug', we'll come visit again…Got any food?"

Yugi smiled and nodded his head, and was about to open his mouth to reply when he was cut off by a blue-eyed brunette. "Do you ever think of anything besides food, pup?"

"Hey!" Yugi giggled as Joey growled, just like the nickname Seto had given him. "Just because you don't eat, doesn't mean I can't!"

Yami smirked as he and Seto followed Joey and Yugi to the house. "Hey, Yugi, where's Ryou? I'm sure he would love to see Joey."

"Oh!" Yugi started to blush again. "Well, you see, when I came to get him, he was kinda…busy."

Joey wrapped Yugi in a headlock, ignoring the protests from the boy. "You walked in on them again, didn't you?"

"It wasn't my fault they were about to do it on the desk!" The entire group stopped in shock and looked at the squirming Yugi. Joey shook his head and released Yugi, placing his hands behind his head and continuing walking. "Way too much information, Yug'."

"You asked!"

* * *

Later that night, Ryou and Yugi sat blushing around the table while Yami and Joey laughed. Seto thought himself much to dignified to laugh at the joke and Bakura was angrily chomping on his meat, not liking the subject at all.

"Um, can we maybe move on?" Yugi blushed deeper. "It was only the third time. You don't need to laugh so hard."

"Sorry, Yug'. It's jus' hilarious that you would walk in on 'em again."

Bakura stood up roughly and walked out of the room. "I'm heading to bed."

"Great. Now he's mad." Ryou sighed and stood up to follow Bakura. "You two know where the guest bedroom is, right?" Seto and Joey nodded their heads. "Good. If you decide to use the bed for something other than sleeping, please change the sheets yourself." He left a blinking Seto and a blushing Joey behind him as he walked out of the room.

Yami cracked up again, Yugi hiding a laugh behind his hand. Joey pushed down his blush and looked out the door where Ryou had just left. Just as Yami was finally calming down, Joey spoke up. "You don't think 'e's mad, do ya?" Which sent Yami into another fit of laughter, making Seto and Yugi roll their eyes.

* * *

Ryou walked into his bedroom and sighed, seeing Bakura sitting on the bed and glaring at the wall. "Really, Bakura? They were just teasing, they didn't mean anything by it."

"Whatever." Bakura grunted and lay down on the bed, now glaring at the ceiling.

The younger of the two sighed again and walked around the other side of the bed and lay down, moving over so he could cuddle next to Bakura. "You're so stubborn."

Bakura smirked and griped Ryou's chin, pulling him into a short but passionate kiss. "I love you, Bakura." Bakura's smirk widened and he pulled Ryou into another kiss, pushing him against the bed and holding Ryou's hands above head. He pulled apart briefly before attacking Ryou's lips again. "Yeah, I love you, too."

**LEMON STARTS HERE!**

Ryou moaned against Bakura's lips as hands flew across his body, touching and caressing in places that set a fire in his stomach. He broke the kiss and tried to regain control of his thoughts as Bakura moved his mouth down to his chest. "Ba-Bakura…Do we-Do we need to do this now?" His question ended in a squeak as Bakura latched on to his nipple at the same time a hand slid up his shenti. "The others will-will hear us."

Bakura trailed a tongue up the middle of Ryou's chest and looked up at Ryou, meeting the dazed chocolate brown eyes as if he wasn't rubbing and squeezing the area next to Ryou's quivering member. "Yami and I worked out a silencing spell." He moved up to place a kiss on Ryou's lips, never removing his hand. "They won't hear any sounds we make."

The boy, by now, was panting and nodded his head shakily, giving a whine and moving his hips to try and get Bakura's hand closer to the erection that wasn't allowing him to think straight. Bakura smirked and obliged, taking hold of Ryou's member and squeezing gently, sliding his hand up and down.

Ryou let out a small scream and let his head fall back, the ball of pleasure in his stomach growing and making him squirm as he tried to find release. "'Kura! M-more!"

Smirking at the nickname, Bakura removed Ryou's shenti and trailed a tongue up the quivering body part, flicking his eyes up to see Ryou staring at him with heavy-lidded eyes. "Like that?"

"Yes!" Ryou jerked his hips up, but failed to do anything, Bakura's hands on either side preventing him from moving them. Bakura let his tongue out again, swirling Ryou's head, before covering it with his mouth. Ryou's breath hitched and he closed his eyes in pleasure as his body shook, taking in all the sensations the man was giving.

Bakura took Ryou whole, chuckling at the squeak that came from above, which in turn got a moan, and sucked gently, turning Ryou into a needy mess. Ryou moaned again as one of Bakura's hands moved from his hip to grip his thigh, he couldn't figure out which one, less important things like right and left had flown out of Ryou's mind a while ago. The boy once again tried to thrust up his hips, thinking that one hand shouldn't be able to hold him down, but he was wrong. He whimpered as he failed to get more of Bakura's mouth around him and the man took mercy on him.

Still sucking and stroking with his tongue, Bakura deep-throated Ryou, closing his eyes as Ryou gave one last quiver and came inside his mouth. Ryou tried to catch his breath, but staring at Bakura swallowing his seed and moving up to look at him with darkened eyes made it near impossible.

He felt fingers circle and massage his entrance and he licked his lips in anticipation. Seeing Bakura's other hand placed in front of him, he accepted the unasked question and took in Bakura's fingers. Twirling his tongue around the digits, he closed his eyes and moaned gently, the feeling enough to make his limp member erect again.

When Bakura thought his fingers were wet enough, he removed them, trying not to think about the popping noise Ryou had made, or the skill with which Ryou had soaked his fingers. He moved his fingers to Ryou's entrance, replacing the ones that had been relaxing the muscles there.

Ryou gasped as a finger inserted itself, the feeling of being filled not really hurting, but familiar. It wasn't long until the second finger found itself inside Ryou and he swallowed roughly as they moved in a scissor-motion. By the time the third finger was in, Ryou was squirming in pleasure, his legs spread for Bakura. He moaned loudly as Bakura hit his prostate and he pretended not to hear the chuckle from the man above him.

He whimpered when Bakura removed the fingers, already missing the feeling of something inside him. "Patience, Ryou." Bakura positioned himself over Ryou's readied entrance, taking a look at Ryou's face, his mouth open slightly and his lids half-closed as he watched Bakura with darkened eyes. He smirked and thrust in, relishing in the half-scream, half-moan that followed.

Bakura leaned forward, pulling Ryou into a kiss as he lifted his hips up and brought them down again, the new angle letting him hit Ryou in the spot that would make him squirm the most.

Ryou moaned in the back of his throat, the gravelly sound making Bakura pick up his pace. Ryou moved his lips against Bakura's and the man took the opportunity to push his tongue into Ryou's mouth. Ryou tried to keep up with the kiss, but he couldn't focus on the tongue in his mouth, when Bakura's hips kept moving against him and hitting the area that made him see white.

Ryou broke the kiss with a loud moan, the ball inside him snapping as he thrust up once before going limp, his orgasm sending seed across his and Bakura's chests. Ryou clamped down on Bakura and the man gripped the sheets below him, thrusting in once more before his body shook and he spilt inside Ryou.

**LEMON ENDS HERE!**

Ryou sighed happily, looking over to the side as Bakura collapsed next to him. He turned his body into the man's chest, neither of them caring about the soiled sheets or the seed on their bodies. Ryou closed his eyes, completely sated, falling asleep almost instantly as Bakura wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer.

Bakura flipped over onto his back, pulling Ryou so he was half lying on his chest, the other half still on the bed. He ran his fingers through the boy's hair once before letting himself fall asleep.

* * *

Yugi giggled and batted away Yami's hand as they made their way to their room, after making sure Joey and Seto were settled in, of course. The boy squealed as Yami scooped him up bridal style to carry him to the rest of the way to the room, and more importantly the bed. Yugi sighed as he caught on to Yami's plan. "Yami! We have guests!"

Yami pursed his lips, to anyone else it would be a pout. "I felt Bakura use a shadow spell, probably the new silencing one." He smirked as Yugi's mouth made and 'o'. "If they can do it, why can't we?"

"Well, because-um," As Yugi tried to make up a good reason, he failed to notice they had made it to their room. The walls covered in shelves holding onto wooden instruments and scrolls of music, the most important sheet lying on a table next to the bed, the weathered paper the only piece in the room holding Japanese writing. He laughed as Yami threw him onto the bed and threw his hands in exasperation, giving Yami quite a picture as he crawled on top of the boy. "Oh, I give up!"

Yami placed a gentle kiss on Yugi's lips before moving his mouth to nibble on Yugi's ear lobe. "Good. Because I wasn't giving you a choice." Yugi shivered at the husky whisper, knowing Yami would never do anything without his permission, but that didn't make it anything less arousing.

Yami leaned over to the side of the bed, reaching under the table to grab strips of toughened leather attached to chains by a small hook sewn in. As soon as he had grabbed them, he felt small hands grab his shoulder and pull him back to the bed.

**LEMON STARTS HERE!**

Yami chuckled and turned around, grabbing Yugi's wrists and slipping the leather over them and taking the end of the chains and looping it around the bedposts, hooking the end onto the metal on the cloth.

Yami sat back when he had done both sides, admiring the picture it presented. Yugi whimpered and yanked lightly on his chains. "Are you just going to leave me hanging?"

The man smirked and leaned forward, biting down lightly on Yugi's neck, before he sucked and licked at the love mark to replace the pain with pleasure. Yugi let out a breathy moan and wet his dry lips, closing his eyes as the sensations put all his nerves on edge.

Slowly trailing his hands down Yugi's chest, Yami stopped right above Yugi's shenti, looking up at Yugi as the boy squirmed and strained against the leather straps. He removed the clothing in one motion, making Yugi gasp as the air met his hard erection.

Yami took Yugi's head in his mouth, trapping the tip gently with his teeth as he flicked his tongue over the slit. Yugi moaned and pulled on his wrists, wanting to run his hands through the hair of the man sucking him off, but unable to.

Releasing Yugi with a pop, Yami let his hands wander as Yugi gave another whimper. "You just love teasing me, don't you?" His erection was so hard it hurt, and he needed release.

"And you love it when I do." Yami moved his fingers to his mouth, meeting Yugi's eyes as he stared at the man preparing his fingers. Once he found them wet enough, he removed the three fingers from his mouth and placed them at Yugi's entrance, sliding two of them in without any warning.

Yugi let out a scream and his head fell back as the fingers stroked inside him, stretching and moving in a way that made his toes curl. Yami inserted the third finger and watched as Yugi moved against it, trying to get Yami to hit a certain spot. Yami spread his fingers and pulled them half out before sliding them back in, and Yugi moaned and let his head fall back at the feeling.

Yami removed his fingers and positioned himself over Yugi, grabbing the boy's legs and moving them to settle on his shoulders. Yami thrust forward, relishing the way Yugi strained and pulled his arms to try and get them to move. The man pulled out and pushed back in harshly, picking up the speed with every thrust.

Clenching his hands and arching his back, Yugi moaned as the pain mixed with heady pleasure and sent Yugi spiraling up into cloud nine. He screamed again and released, the orgasm sending waves of pleasure that took Yugi even higher.

Feeling Yugi clench down him, Yami groaned and something inside him snapped as he rode out his orgasm, sending his seed into Yugi. He pulled out and removed the leather bands, watching Yugi pant and try to regain hold of his thoughts.

**LEMON ENDS HERE!**

When Yugi came back down from his high, he was cuddled up to Yami, who had a pleased and satisfied look on his face. Yugi giggled and brought his hands up to cup Yami's cheeks, placing a soft kiss on the man's lips, before pulling back and curling into the chest he fit so well into. "Forever?"

Yami smiled and hugged Yugi close, giving Yugi the answer he would use for the rest of his life. "And always."

* * *

**ATTENTION READERS!**

**SW: Hehe, you really need to read that like Kemo from YGOTAS.**

**Anyways, I'm going to be writing a sequel! That's right, a SEQUEL! Even though the book I based this off of doesn't have a sequel, I've come up with enough plot ideas to write one! I'm so excited!**

**Malik: Damn it!**

**SW: What?**

**Malik: Does that mean I'm still dead?**

**SW: Maybe~ You'll just have to wait and see!**

**Review please!**

…**Yugi: 0.0 I'm a masochist?**


End file.
